Is this hazardous?

[Green Xenon]

Hi:

 

I have another speculative medical question.

 

PSTSN = Peripheral Somatic Tactile Sensory Neurons

 

Tactile = Pertaining only to sense of touch [including temperature, pressure, pain, etc.]. *Not* including any visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory perceptions or any sensations associated with the sense of balance.

 

Peripheral = pertaining only to the peripheral nervous system and not the central nervous system.

 

Somatic = pertaining only to the somatic nervous system and not the visceral, autonomic, or enteric nervous systems

 

Let’s say a mysterious entity decides to stimulate all the PSTSNs all in my body to the maximum extent possible [in terms of extent to which a neuron is stimulated, how many neurons per area are stimulated, and during of stimulating] – without damaging any part of the body [including the PSTSNs] or overloading the rest of the nervous system.

 

The rest of the nervous system [and my body] are not directly affected by the mystical entity itself. However, the extreme excitations of PSTSNs most likely will affect the rest of my body.

 

What symptoms will I experience as a result of this extreme PSTSN excitement?

 

The stimulation I speak of is marked by depolarization of the PSTSNs.

 

When a neuron is stimulated, it depolarizes. When relaxed, it hyperpolarizes.

 

As to what symptoms I’d experience, my guess is that I would feel some weird sensations throughout the body. Somatic reflexes to this aberrant tactile stimulus would likely cause the muscles in my arms and legs to become contract. Do I guess right? Would anything else happen to me? Anything dangerous?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Green Xenon

[GDG]

Since you're limiting this to tactile neurons, I assume you are only talking about the "sense of touch" nerves in the skin. If you stimulate all of them, you should feel like you're being "touched" all over -- probably like you've been wrapped in a tight rubber sheet, or a full-body ACE bandage.

[Green Xenon]

Since you're limiting this to tactile neurons, I assume you are only talking about the "sense of touch" nerves in the skin. If you stimulate all of them, you should feel like you're being "touched" all over -- probably like you've been wrapped in a tight rubber sheet, or a full-body ACE bandage.

 

Tactile sensations include touch, pain, temperature, pressure, vibration, etc. etc.

 

So I guess I would feel a weird combination of all of them.

 

Remember that odd feeling you get when your legs wake up after falling asleep? This sensation can get painful with any movement. When the legs fall asleep they get numb and tingly. When they wake up, they become painfully sensitive to any movement. This usually lasts for half a minute. This wierd painful sensation forces me to stay in place because with any movement I feel the flash of shock-like vibratory pain.

 

So I'm guessing I'd feel a similar wierd sensation if [increased exponentially in intensity] if all my PSTSNs are stimulated.

 

My question is, what non-tactile affects would this massive PSTSN-excitement have on the rest of nervous? That is what interests me the most.

 

In some cases, PSTSN-stimulation can cause involuntary movements -- such as pulling your hand away from a hot saucepan even before you feel the sharp burning pain.

 

I'm more interested in the effects my extreme PSTSN-excitation would have on the central nervous system as well as the autonomic nervous system.

 

I believe the massive PSTSN-excitation might directly cause unconsciousness by affecting the reticular activating system. Also, the PSTSN-stimulating might stop my heart. Do I guess right?

 

Quote from http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:ziuTpWWP9_oJ:www.internetarmory.com/self_defense.htm+%22pain+impulses%22+site:www.internetarmory.com/self_defense.htm&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1 :

 

"It is speculated that various organs of the body can send pain impulses to the brain stem indicating a severe or overwhelming bodily injury. The reticular activating system responds by producing a functional "shut down", which results in loss of consciousness within a second or two."

 

The above statement suggests that extreme tactile stimulation has a direct affect on the parts of the brain dealing with consciousness -- leading to a coma.

 

Also, such extreme PSTSN-excitation might be viewed by the rest of the nervous system as a severe injury as cause the release of numbing endorphins.

 

My psyche might view the massive PSTSN-excitation as a traumatic event and cause me my mind to get blank and not remember the experience at all -- even if I survive and don't lose consciousness. It is common for victims of psychologically-scarring events not to remember those events. The mind involuntarily shuts-off access to the traumatic memories. This happens in victims of structure fires, child molestation, prisoners of war, or even being in war itself ["shell shock"] -- and pretty much any event that would cause extreme intensity of emotion.

 

The PSTSN-excitation might also cause a lethal vasovagal response in which:

 

1. The overall relaxation of the heart muscles increases

2. The overall "un-relaxations" [including contractions] of the heart muscles decrease

3. The heart rate and pulse slow

4. Blood vessels around the body dilate

 

All 4 combined can cause a fatal drop in blood pressure

 

There is also a chance that that PSTSN-excitation might cause voluntary muscles to relax, leading to paralysis -- something like a psychogenic loss of motor tone.

 

 

Are my above guesses right?

 

 

 

Thanks

Edited June 12, 2009 by Green Xenon