All articles tagged with #affective touch
A new neurobiological model proposes that emotionally meaningful touch is encoded and recalled through an interaction between sensory signals and emotional brain networks, creating embodied memories that can reenact bodily states; early caregiving touch shapes lifelong well-being and social bonding, with implications for mental health, as digital or non-skin contact cannot fully substitute real touch.
A new study in Autism Research reveals that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have lower physiological responses to touch but report higher ratings for both pleasant and unpleasant touch sensations compared to typically developing individuals. This highlights a complex relationship between subjective experience and physiological response in people with ASD, which may impact their social interactions and quality of life. The study underscores the need for further research to better understand sensory processing in ASD and its implications for diagnosis and therapy.