The fMRI response of the somatosensory cortex was investigated with vibrotactile stimulation. Three different frequencies of 8, 15, or 25 Hz were applied in order to mainly focus on the hemodynamic response of Meissner corpuscles sensitive to frequencies of 5∼40 Hz. A closed-system, pneumatically-driven, rubber diaphragm was fabricated that overcame many of the limitations of existing vibrotactile devices and produced robust sensory cortex activation in an fMRI experiment. Increasing frequency vs. activation area was analyzed in terms of signal percent change and number of pixels. Our preliminary results indicated that the distribution of the signal percentage change widened and more activated pixels were obtained with higher frequencies.

KeywordsFMRI, Vibrotactile device, Signal percent change, Brain activity