2003-07-05

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Scientists Enhance Ability to Feel (washingtonpost.com)

Giving new meaning to 'sensitivity training,' scientists have developed a simple way to greatly enhance the human body's ability to feel subtle sensations. The enhanced sensitivity, achieved with a tiny stimulating device and a single dose of a drug, has reversed fingertip numbness in older people, many of whom have trouble performing everyday tasks such as buttoning shirts or turning switches on and off. Researchers said they suspect it could also help blind people read Braille. And applying the technique to the feet might prevent falls in diabetics who have lost sensation in their toes, which are crucial for balance.