Hypoesthesia

Hypoesthesia is reduced sensitivity to sensory stimuli, including touch, temperature, or pain. It can result from nerve damage or neurological disease.

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Somatosensory system: The neural system that processes touch, temperature, pain, body position, and related bodily sensations. Reduced sensation occurs when signaling in this system is impaired.
Neurological examination: A clinical assessment of nervous-system function using tests of strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and cognition. Comparing sensation across body regions reveals the distribution of hypoesthesia.
Anesthesia: Loss of sensation, either in a body region or induced throughout the body for a procedure. Hypoesthesia reduces sensation; anesthesia describes its complete loss.
Radiculopathy: Impaired function of a spinal nerve root, often causing pain, weakness, or altered sensation. Compression or irritation of a nerve root can produce reduced sensation in its territory.
Peripheral neuropathy: Damage or disease affecting nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Peripheral nerve injury commonly weakens sensation in affected body regions.
Monofilament test: A sensory test that applies calibrated nylon filaments to assess pressure detection in the skin. It can detect diminished protective sensation, particularly in the feet.
Paresthesia: An abnormal sensation, such as tingling or pins and needles, occurring spontaneously or after stimulation. Paresthesia adds an unusual sensation, while hypoesthesia denotes diminished sensitivity.
Multiple sclerosis: An immune-mediated disease in which damage to central nervous system myelin disrupts neural signaling. Lesions can interrupt sensory pathways and cause patchy sensory loss.
Sensory neuron: A nerve cell that carries information from sensory receptors toward the central nervous system. Damage to these neurons can reduce the signals that reach the brain.
Nerve conduction study: A test that measures the speed and strength of electrical signals traveling through peripheral nerves. Abnormal results can support peripheral nerve damage as the source of reduced sensation.