Which statement best describes impairments to touch?

• A. Affect one's ability to detect light by touch
• B. Affect one's ability to effectively and accurately process input from the skin's receptors
• C. Affect one's hearing
• D. Affect one's sense of smell

Answer: (B)

Touch involves not just sensing a stimulus on the skin, but also how the brain interprets and makes sense of those signals. Impairments to touch often arise when the somatosensory system can’t effectively and accurately process input from the skin’s receptors—from detecting that a stimulus is present to judging its location, texture, and intensity. If the brain’s processing of tactile information is disrupted, touch perception becomes unreliable or distorted, even if the skin’s receptors are still capable of responding.

The other statements focus more on the ability to detect a stimulus (which is a peripheral, detection-level issue) or concern other senses entirely, rather than the brain’s processing of tactile information.