Michelle

Petite fingers 'more touchy-feely'

(UKPA) – 11 hours ago

People with petite fingers have a more acute sense of touch than folk who are hamfisted, according to new research.

Scientists believe the discovery explains why women tend to be more tactile than men.

The gender difference is purely down to finger size, it is claimed - small slender fingers are more densely packed with touch receptors than "sausage-like" digits.

Researchers in Canada investigated finger sensitivity in 100 university students using a technique similar to testing eyesight.

People undergoing an eye test are asked to read progressively smaller letters on an optometrist's eye chart. In the same way, the touch study participants were asked to feel progressively narrower parallel grooves with a fingertip.

The scientists found that individuals with smaller fingers were able to discern tighter grooves.

"Neuroscientists have long known that some people have a better sense of touch than others, but the reasons for this difference have been mysterious," said Dr Daniel Goldreich, from McMaster University in Ontario. "Our discovery reveals that one important factor in the sense of touch is finger size."

Several types of sensory receptor lie under the surface of the skin, each designed to detect a specific kind of stimulation. Some, called Merkel cells, respond to static indentations - like grooves - while others capture vibrations or movement.

Skin receptors act like pixels in a digital camera to generate a picture in the brain of what an object "feels" like. More receptors per inch provide a clearer image.

The findings were published in The Journal of Neuroscience.