Abstract
Pleasant touch sensations may begin with neural coding in the periphery by specific afferents. We found that during soft brush stroking, low-threshold unmyelinated mechanoreceptors (C-tactile), but not myelinated afferents, responded most vigorously at intermediate brushing velocities (1-10 cm s(-1)), which were perceived by subjects as being the most pleasant. Our results indicate that C-tactile afferents constitute a privileged peripheral pathway for pleasant tactile stimulation that is likely to signal affiliative social body contact.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Action Potentials / physiology
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Adaptation, Physiological / physiology
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Affect / physiology
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Afferent Pathways / physiology
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Cerebral Cortex / physiology
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Electrophysiology
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Hair Follicle / innervation
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Hair Follicle / physiology
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Humans
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Mechanoreceptors / physiology
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Mechanotransduction, Cellular / physiology*
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Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / physiology*
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Perception / physiology
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Physical Stimulation / methods
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Reward
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Sensory Receptor Cells / physiology*
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Skin / innervation*
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Skin Physiological Phenomena*
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Social Behavior
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Touch / physiology*