The Handbook of Touch
Neuroscience, Behavioral, and Health Perspectives
Published on 13. June 2011
Book
Hardback
536 pages
978-0-8261-2191-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book is excellent in its coverage of neurobiological underpinnings through perception, measurement, and communication...a great resource for researchers and clinicians." Score: 94, 4 stars. --Doody's Medical Reviews
This is an expertly constructed volume, due mainly to an expert composition of authors for the individual chapters. Every chapter is like opening a door to a different laboratory, each examining a unique corner of the tactile research universe."--PsycCRITIQUES
...a solid, authoritative resource."--New Hampshire Nurses Association
Touch has received increased attention over the last few decades, with growing recognition of its profound import to all facets of life. The Handbook of Touch is the first authoritative, state-of-the-art resource for scientists, scholars, and students interested in the neurobehavioral foundations of touch and its many applications.
This text provides an in-depth overview of the conceptual and empirical scope of the field. Chapters are written by a cadre of internationally known experts on touch, representing an expansive breadth of knowledge from behavioral, health, and neuroscience disciplines.
Key Features:
Integrates knowledge regarding the neurobiology of touch, covering the spectrum from skin physiology and somatosensory pathways to touch-related genes and proteins
Synthesizes research about the neural processing and perception of touch
Describes diverse methods for measuring touch behavior and human response to touch
Discusses the role of touch in social communication, along with the influence of context and culture
Presents cutting edge research that links touch to brain organization and plasticity, human development, and varied dimensions of health
This is an expertly constructed volume, due mainly to an expert composition of authors for the individual chapters. Every chapter is like opening a door to a different laboratory, each examining a unique corner of the tactile research universe."--PsycCRITIQUES
...a solid, authoritative resource."--New Hampshire Nurses Association
Touch has received increased attention over the last few decades, with growing recognition of its profound import to all facets of life. The Handbook of Touch is the first authoritative, state-of-the-art resource for scientists, scholars, and students interested in the neurobehavioral foundations of touch and its many applications.
This text provides an in-depth overview of the conceptual and empirical scope of the field. Chapters are written by a cadre of internationally known experts on touch, representing an expansive breadth of knowledge from behavioral, health, and neuroscience disciplines.
Key Features:
Integrates knowledge regarding the neurobiology of touch, covering the spectrum from skin physiology and somatosensory pathways to touch-related genes and proteins
Synthesizes research about the neural processing and perception of touch
Describes diverse methods for measuring touch behavior and human response to touch
Discusses the role of touch in social communication, along with the influence of context and culture
Presents cutting edge research that links touch to brain organization and plasticity, human development, and varied dimensions of health
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
50 illustrations; 50 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8261-2191-2 (9780826121912)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Matthew J. Hertenstein, PhD is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of The Touch and Emotion Lab at DePauw University. Work conducted in his lab been featured nationally and internationally via a number of media outlets including NBC's Today Show, BBC Radio, The Economist, The Independent, ABC News, Parenting, the Canadian Broadcast Company, NPR, and the New York Times.
Sandra J. Weiss, PhD, DNSc is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Systems and the Robert C. & Delphine Wentland Eschbach Endowed Chair at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Weiss has studied the phenomenon of touch as a primary area of research for 30 years. Her work on touch has been covered by CNN, CBS and ABC as part of programs on 'The Senses', 'Discoveries in Medical Science', and 'Medical Advances.'
Sandra J. Weiss, PhD, DNSc is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Systems and the Robert C. & Delphine Wentland Eschbach Endowed Chair at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Weiss has studied the phenomenon of touch as a primary area of research for 30 years. Her work on touch has been covered by CNN, CBS and ABC as part of programs on 'The Senses', 'Discoveries in Medical Science', and 'Medical Advances.'
Content
Contributors
Preface
SECTION I THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF TOUCH
1. The Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin
2. Sensory Processes of Touch
3. The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Touch
4. Brain Plasticity and Touch
SECTION II PERCEIVING THE PHYSICAL WORLD VIA TOUCH
5. Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Basis of the Processing of Tactile Stimuli
6. Hierarchical Neural Pathways of Haptic Object Processing
7. The Organization and Function of Somatosensory Cortex
8. Crossmodal Interactions in Tactile Perception
SECTION III MEASUREMENT OF TOUCH
9. Measurement of Tactile Response and Tactile Perception
10. Measurement of Touch Behavior
SECTION IV COMMUNICATION VIA TOUCH
11. Communicating Through Touch: Touching During Parent-Infant Interactions
12. The Communicative Functions of Touch in Adulthood
13. Gender and Status Patterns in Social Touch
14. Tactile Traditions: Cultural Differences and Similarities in Haptic Communication
SECTION V THE RELEVANCE OF TOUCH FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH
15. Maternal Touch and the Developing Infant
16. Tactile Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
17. Touch in People Who Are Visually Impaired
18. Massage Therapy: A Review of Recent Research
19. Haptic Feedback: Technology and Medical Applications
Index
Preface
SECTION I THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF TOUCH
1. The Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin
2. Sensory Processes of Touch
3. The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Touch
4. Brain Plasticity and Touch
SECTION II PERCEIVING THE PHYSICAL WORLD VIA TOUCH
5. Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Basis of the Processing of Tactile Stimuli
6. Hierarchical Neural Pathways of Haptic Object Processing
7. The Organization and Function of Somatosensory Cortex
8. Crossmodal Interactions in Tactile Perception
SECTION III MEASUREMENT OF TOUCH
9. Measurement of Tactile Response and Tactile Perception
10. Measurement of Touch Behavior
SECTION IV COMMUNICATION VIA TOUCH
11. Communicating Through Touch: Touching During Parent-Infant Interactions
12. The Communicative Functions of Touch in Adulthood
13. Gender and Status Patterns in Social Touch
14. Tactile Traditions: Cultural Differences and Similarities in Haptic Communication
SECTION V THE RELEVANCE OF TOUCH FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH
15. Maternal Touch and the Developing Infant
16. Tactile Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
17. Touch in People Who Are Visually Impaired
18. Massage Therapy: A Review of Recent Research
19. Haptic Feedback: Technology and Medical Applications
Index