"Quarks & Co":Please touch! The power of the tactile sense

PD Dr. Hubert Dinse explains stimulation glove

The sense of touch is at the centre of attention in the current episode of popular science programme “Quarks & Co” (first broadcast on April 5th on WDR). Presenter Ranga Yogeshwar shines a light on a sense, which seems unspectacular, but is actually vital for humans. Among the scientists interviewed is Ruhr University researcher PD Dr. Hubert Dinse.

In Collaborative Research Centre 874, Dinse, head of the RUB’s Neural Plasticity Lab, investigates how the principles of neuroplasticity can be applied to influence our sensory perception. In “Quarks & Co” he presents a special stimulatory glove, which was developed in Bochum to help stroke patients improve their sense of touch. Electrical impulses stimulate the tactile sense. This triggers learning mechanisms in the brain which improve tactile sensitivity during like active training. “Quarks & Co” explains the underlying scientific research and also follows a stroke patient, who has already benefited from therapy with the glove.