This thesis explores how the brain interprets touch by tracing the transformation of physical stimuli into neural representations. From mechanoreceptors in the skin to cortical networks, it combined psychophysical experiments in humans with computational modeling of the rodent whisker system to uncover how tactile information is encoded, transmitted, and decoded. Updating the connectome of the whisker pathway reveals a dense network of sensory, motor, and modulatory nuclei, supporting the view that touch is a “whole-brain computation”. Biophysical models of mechanoreceptors show that tactile signals are processed in parallel detection and discrimination streams even before reaching the central nervous system. Integrating mechanical and neural models, the work quantifies how information flows from the periphery through the brainstem, thalamus, and cortex, highlighting the roles of inhibition and top-down regulation. By linking human perception to detailed neural mechanisms, this research deepens our understanding of sensory computation, lays the foundations for advances in neuroprosthetics, haptic technologies, and treatments for sensory disorders, and provides insight into our perception of the world.
This thesis explores how the brain interprets touch by tracing the transformation of physical stimuli into neural representations. From mechanoreceptors in the skin to cortical networks, it combined psychophysical experiments in humans with computational modeling of the rodent whisker system to uncover how tactile information is encoded, transmitted, and decoded. Updating the connectome of the whisker pathway reveals a dense network of sensory, motor, and modulatory nuclei, supporting the view that touch is a “whole-brain computation”. Biophysical models of mechanoreceptors show that tactile signals are processed in parallel detection and discrimination streams even before reaching the central nervous system. Integrating mechanical and neural models, the work quantifies how information flows from the periphery through the brainstem, thalamus, and cortex, highlighting the roles of inhibition and top-down regulation. By linking human perception to detailed neural mechanisms, this research deepens our understanding of sensory computation, lays the foundations for advances in neuroprosthetics, haptic technologies, and treatments for sensory disorders, and provides insight into our perception of the world.