Researchers from the Umea University in Sweden have made a one-of-its-kind revelation that neurons in human skin are also able to perform advanced calculations.

Earlier, it was considered that such tedious tasks could only be performed by brain. But researchers found that first-order neurons are capable of recording touch stimuli. They can also perform the function of communicating with one another and also with other sensitive parts of the skin.

Co-author of the study, Andrew Pruszynski, was of the view that two types of first-order tactile neurons perform two functions. They provide information about when and how strongly an object has been touched and also give information about the touched object's shape.

As per researchers, sensitivity levels of the different areas of the skin are behind the neurons' sensitivity level for any given shape of the stimuli. Experts were of the view that the study has been able to explain the reason why humans are able to tell the difference between a button and coin, even by touching them blindly.

Initially, it was considered that neurons present in the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer, were the ones managing the tactile function. But through the study, it has been found that neurons in the skin may be given the credit.

The research carried out by Pruszynski alongside supervisor Roland S. Johansson from Umea University in Sweden has changed the way how touch signals are processed by the nervous system.

Pruszynski affirmed that earlier when researchers used to re-grow peripheral nerves to recover touch function in people who have faced nerve injury, it was considered important to know how neurons grow back. "But now based on our findings precisely how these neurons grow back as this may be critical to the type of information they send the brain", stated Pruszynski.