The general goal of this project is to provide a psychophysical description of the sensitivity of normal, intact skin to common chemicals. Building upon the results obtained during the prior funding period, the project will continue to study the perceptual characteristics (in humans) of what is typically referred to as the common chemical sense. In addition, the focus of the project will begin to move from simple descriptive studies toward investigations of sensory coding in the nociceptive and thermal senses using chemical stimuli as probes.
These aims will be pursued in three types of psychophysical analyses: (1) studies of the basic perceptual characteristics of sensorially-active compounds, which will provide information about the range and complexity of perceptual experiences that can be evoked by topical irritants; (2) studies of the spatial and temporal interactions among chemical stimuli, and between chemical stimuli and other cutaneous stimuli, which will provide data on phenomena such as summation, inhibition, """"""""sensitization"""""""" and """"""""desensitization;"""""""" and (3) studies of chemical mixtures and the interactions between simultaneously-applied chemical and thermal stimulation, which are designed to provide clues to the sensory processes that underlie the perception of complex nociceptive and thermal sensations on the skin.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES004356-07
Application #
3252477
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1986-09-22
Project End
1994-11-30
Budget Start
1992-12-01
Budget End
1993-11-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Green, B G (1990) Spatial summation of chemical irritation and itch produced by topical application of capsaicin. Percept Psychophys 48:12-8
Green, B G (1990) Sensory characteristics of camphor. J Invest Dermatol 94:662-6
Green, B G; Flammer, L J (1989) Localization of chemical stimulation: capsaicin on hairy skin. Somatosens Mot Res 6:553-66
Green, B G; Flammer, L J (1989) Methyl salicylate as a cutaneous stimulus: a psychophysical analysis. Somatosens Mot Res 6:253-74
Mohammadpour, H; Murray, W J; Stohs, S J (1988) 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced lipid peroxidation in genetically responsive and non-responsive mice. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 17:645-50