Temperature can sharpen tactile acuity

Abstract

The spatial acuity of the skin, as measured by two-point and two-edge limens, depends on the temperature of the objects that are touched. Cooling and warming the objects caused a marked improvement (an average of 41% in six subjects) in the skin's acuity relative to thermally neutral stimulation. This improvement seems to be closely related to earlier observations that warm and cold objects placed on the skin feel heavier than do thermally neutral objects. © 1982 Psychonomic Society, Inc.