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- Title
Unmyelinated tactile afferents signal touch and project to insular cortex.
- Authors
Olausson, H; Lamarre, Y; Backlund, H; Morin, C; Wallin, B G; Starck, G; Ekholm, S; Strigo, I; Worsley, K; Vallbo, A B; Bushnell, M C
- Abstract
There is dual tactile innervation of the human hairy skin: in addition to fast-conducting myelinated afferent fibers, there is a system of slow-conducting unmyelinated (C) afferents that respond to light touch. In a unique patient lacking large myelinated afferents, we found that activation of C tactile (CT) afferents produced a faint sensation of pleasant touch. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis during CT stimulation showed activation of the insular region, but not of somatosensory areas S1 and S2. These findings identify CT as a system for limbic touch that may underlie emotional, hormonal and affiliative responses to caress-like, skin-to-skin contact between individuals.
- Publication
Nature neuroscience, 2002, Vol 5, Issue 9, p900
- ISSN
1097-6256
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/nn896