Ascending pathways

Types of sensations

You have all experienced the sensations of pain, temperature, pressure, itch, tickle, vibration, and sex. Graphesthesia is a complex sensation that can be demonstrated by asking the patient to hold out a hand with palm upward and with the patient's eyes closed you draw a number on the patient's palm with the finger nail of your index finger. A normal patient should be able to tell you the correct number. Stereognosis is the ability to identify common objects without looking at them - e.g. by feel. If you gave me a paper clip, a key, or a dime, I could correctly identify each object by "feeling" it with my hands, even with my eyes closed.