What are C-tactile afferents and how do they relate to “affective touch”?

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 151, С. 105236 - 105236

Опубликована: Май 16, 2023

Since their initial discovery in cats, low-threshold C-fiber mechanoreceptors have become a central interest of scientists studying the affective aspects touch. Their pursuit humans, here termed C-tactile (CT) afferents, has led to establishment research field referred as "affective touch", which is differentiated from "discriminative touch". Presently, we review these developments based on an automated semantic analysis more than 1000 published abstracts well empirical evidence and solicited opinions leading experts field. Our provides historical perspective update CT research, it reflects meaning discusses how current insights challenge established views relation between CTs We conclude that support gentle, touch, but not every touch experience relies or must necessarily be pleasant. Moreover, speculate currently underappreciated signaling will prove relevant for manner unique fibers humans connect both physically emotionally.

Язык: Английский

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Out of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch – Neural and endocrine pathways

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 159, С. 105595 - 105595

Опубликована: Фев. 17, 2024

Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little known how trauma exposure influences processing touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which influence touch lead to aversion avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that may affect sensory thresholds by modulating activity primary cortex posterior insula. Disturbances multisensory integration oxytocin reactivity combined diminished reward-related anxiolytic responses induce bias towards negative appraisal contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during reflect dissociative state. These changes depend not only on type severity also features We hypothesise disrupted impair interactions confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.

Язык: Английский

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An atlas of neuropathic pain-associated molecular pathological characteristics in the mouse spinal cord

Communications Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 8(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 17, 2025

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI)-induced neuropathic pain (NP) is a severe disease with high prevalence in clinics. Gene reprogramming and tissue remodeling the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) spinal cord (SC) drive development maintenance of (NP). However, our understanding NP-associated spatial molecular processing landscape SC non-synaptic interactions between DRG neurons cells remains limited. We here integrate transcriptomics (ST) single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) bulk (bulk RNA-seq) to characterize regional pathological heterogeneity under NP conditions. First, mice manifests unique atlases genes, cell populations, cell-cell cross-talks, signaling pathways, transcriptional regulatory networks compared sham mice. further report that injured sensory corresponding ventral horn show similar expression patterns after PNI. In addition, for first time, we systematically exhibit "cross-talk omics" glial cells, indicating an altered communication profile Together, findings decode cellular mechanisms underlying NP, providing foundation designing therapeutic targets this disorder.

Язык: Английский

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Pleasant Touch: behavioural and hemodynamic responses to a protocol for systematic assessment of tactile stimulation.

Cortex, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Neural mechanisms of comforting: Prosocial touch and stress buffering

Hormones and Behavior, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 153, С. 105391 - 105391

Опубликована: Июнь 8, 2023

Comforting is a crucial form of prosocial behavior that important for maintaining social unity and improving the physical emotional well-being species. It often expressed through affiliative touch toward someone in distress, providing relief their distressed state. In face increasing global these actions are paramount to continued improvement individual welfare collective good. Understanding neural mechanisms responsible promoting focused on benefitting others particularly timely. Here, we review comforting behavior, emphasizing synthesizing recent studies carried out using rodent models. We discuss its underlying behavioral expression motivations, then explore both neurobiology helper animal stress following recipient as part feedback loop interaction.

Язык: Английский

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Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Prokineticin Receptors in Diseases

Pharmacological Reviews, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 75(6), С. 1167 - 1199

Опубликована: Сен. 8, 2023

The prokineticins (PKs) were discovered approximately 20 years ago as small peptides inducing gut contractility. Today, they are established angiogenic, anorectic, and proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, hormones, neuropeptides involved in variety of physiologic pathophysiological pathways. Their altered expression or mutations implicated several diseases make them a potential biomarker. G-protein coupled receptors, PKR1 PKR2, have divergent roles that can be therapeutic target for treatment cardiovascular, metabolic, neural well pain cancer. This article reviews summarizes our current knowledge PK family functions from development heart brain to regulation homeostasis health diseases. Finally, the review endogenous peptides, synthetic selective ligands nonpeptide orthostatic allosteric modulator receptors preclinical disease models. present emphasizes ambiguous aspects gaps PKR elucidates future perspectives research.

Significance Statement

provides an in-depth view prokineticin active without their ligand exhibits "constitutive" activity non- peptide display promising effects PKs diagnostic biomarker A thorough understanding role receptor types is critical develop novel strategies with safety concerns.

Язык: Английский

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Aging‐associated decrease of PGC‐1α promotes pain chronification

Aging Cell, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 23(8)

Опубликована: Май 17, 2024

Abstract Aging is generally associated with declining somatosensory function, which seems at odds the high prevalence of chronic pain in older people. This discrepancy partly related to degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis However, whether aging alters processing primary cortex (S1), and if so, it promotes chronification largely unknown. Herein, we report that mice displayed prolonged nociceptive behavior following nerve injury when compared mature adult mice. The expression peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐gamma coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α) S1 was decreased mice, whereas PGC‐1α haploinsufficiency promoted after injury. Both led abnormal neural dynamics, revealed by intravital two‐photon calcium imaging. Manipulating dynamics affected injury: chemogenetic inhibition interneurons aggravated naive mice; activation alleviated More interestingly, adeno‐associated virus‐mediated ameliorated aging‐associated well aging‐related dynamic changes. Taken together, our results showed decrease chronification, might be harnessed alleviate burden individuals.

Язык: Английский

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The lateral thalamus: a bridge between multisensory processing and naturalistic behaviors

Trends in Neurosciences, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Дек. 1, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Mrgprb4-lineage neurons indispensable in pressure induced pleasant sensation are polymodal

iScience, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 28(2), С. 111940 - 111940

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2025

Pharmacogenetic activation of the Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor b4 (Mrgprb4) neurons in dorsal root ganglia is positively reinforcing, and these can be activated by innocuous or noxious mechanical stimuli. However, direct evidence regarding role how they encode diverse somatic inputs remains unclear. To address this, mild pressure conditioned place preference (MP-CPP) was conducted to evaluate indispensability Mrgprb4-lineage pleasantness caused pressure. Mice without lost for The number significantly higher than that brush pinch. Ca2+ transients were Further analysis co-activating mechano-thermosensitive showed evoked fluorescence 0°C 43°C. In brief, are needed transmit pleasant sensation exhibit functional polymodality.

Язык: Английский

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Identification of Brain Activation Areas in Response to Active Tactile Stimulation by Gripping a Stress Ball

Brain Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 15(3), С. 264 - 264

Опубликована: Фев. 28, 2025

Background/Objectives: Research on pleasant tactile perception has primarily focused C-tactile fibers found in hairy skin, with the forearm and face as common study sites. Recent findings of these hairless such palms, have sparked interest stimulation hands. While studies examined comfort brain activity passive touch, active touch remains underexplored. This aimed to investigate differences sensation during stress balls varying hardness. Methods: Forty healthy women participated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), was measured participants alternated between gripping soft, medium, hard hardness resting without a ball. Participants rated 9-point scale. Results: Soft were perceived soft comfortable, activating thalamus left insular cortex while reducing right cortex. Medium elicited similar perceptions thalamic activation but reduced activity. Hard caused discomfort, cortex, thalamus, amygdala anterior cingulate Conclusions: may reduce aversive stimuli through comfort, induce discomfort are unlikely alleviate stress.

Язык: Английский

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