Tag

Touch

All articles tagged with #touch

science29 days ago•52 min saved

From Skin to Senses: Unraveling Pain, Pleasure, and Social Touch

Quanta Magazine's The Joy of Why interviews Columbia neuroscientist Ishmail Abdus-Saboor about how pain and touch arise from skin-brain circuitry, the molecular receptors that distinguish hot, cold, touch, and pain, how researchers infer animals' internal states, the ethics of animal research, and the naked mole rat's unique sociality and pain-insensitivity, along with cutting-edge tools like optogenetics and ongoing work to translate basic findings into therapies that target perception and emotion rather than sensation alone.

via Quanta Magazine|

#naked-mole-rat #neuroscience #pain

lifestyle4 months ago•36 min saved

Touch That Endures: How Gentle Contact Shapes Memory and Bonds Over a Lifetime

A multidisciplinary study argues for ‘affective tactile memory’: meaningful, slow, warm touch lingers in memory not as facts but as bodily and emotional traces that influence how safe we feel and how we bond with others across life. By linking skin nerve fibers to emotion and reward brain networks, the research suggests touch memories may be partially reenacted in the body, shaping trust, attachment, and relationships. This highlights the enduring importance of physical contact even in a digital age and points to implications for anxiety, trauma, and attachment disorders.

via Earth.com|

#attachment #emotion #lifestyle

science10 months ago•3 min saved

Sound Outperforms Touch in Enhancing Musical Rhythm Perception

A study shows that the human brain synchronizes more accurately with musical rhythm through sound than touch, as auditory cues produce beat-like neural patterns that facilitate movement, whereas tactile cues lead to less precise synchronization, highlighting the unique role of hearing in rhythm perception.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain #music #neuroscience

health-and-wellness2 years ago•2 min saved

"The Healing Power of Touch: Science Confirms Reduction in Pain, Anxiety, and Depression"

A review of 212 studies has confirmed that hugs and other forms of physical touch can help reduce feelings of pain, depression, and anxiety in both children and adults. The type of touch doesn't seem to matter much, but touching on the head or face appears to work best, and shorter, more frequent touches elicit more positive reactions. While touches from inanimate objects can help with physical health, touches from humans and animals are more beneficial for mental health. The study emphasizes the importance of consensual touch and highlights the significant positive influence of touch, especially in newborns when it comes from a parent.

via ScienceAlert|

#health-and-wellness #hugs #mental-health

science2 years ago•14 min saved

"Deciphering Neural Circuits: Unraveling the Choice Between Pleasure and Pain"

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, a neuroscientist at Columbia University, is leading research into the perception of pleasurable and painful touches, aiming to understand how the brain determines whether a touch to the skin is painful or pleasurable. His work has led to insights into the neural circuits that govern pleasure and pain in animals, as well as the development of new measurement tools for quantifying pain and pleasure in lab animals. Abdus-Saboor's research also explores the potential medical implications of targeting the skin for therapeutic purposes and the study of touch in naked mole rats. Throughout his career, he has faced challenges but encourages aspiring scientists, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue their passion and not to be discouraged by obstacles.

via Quanta Magazine|

#neuroscience #pain #pleasure

neuroscience2 years ago•4 min saved

"Early Self-Recognition: The Toddler's Journey of Touch and See"

A study from The University of Texas at Austin reveals that toddlers prompted to touch their own faces through vibrating discs developed self-recognition in mirrors about two months earlier than expected, challenging the belief that self-recognition is hardwired and suggesting it's influenced by sensory experiences. The findings emphasize the importance of self-directed exploration for self-knowledge and could reshape interventions for children with motor development delays.

via Neuroscience News|

#mirror-test #motor-development #neuroscience

science2 years ago•3 min saved

Unveiling a Novel Human Sensation: The Hairy Truth Behind Touch

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown way that humans feel touch. Cells within the outer layer of hair follicles can detect touch and release neurotransmitters that activate nearby sensory neurons, which relay information to the brain. This expands the known ways humans sense touch and may have implications for understanding skin diseases such as eczema. The research is still in its early stages, but it could open up new therapeutic avenues.

via Livescience.com|

#hair-follicles #neurotransmitters #science

health3 years ago•3 min saved

The Impact of Context on Brain's Response to Touch and Oxytocin.

The hormone oxytocin, which is linked to touch and social bonding, is influenced by the situation and context in which it is experienced, according to a study by researchers at Linköping University and the University of Skövde in Sweden. The study found that oxytocin levels increased when a woman's partner touched her arm, but only if he was the first to do so. The hormone's effects were linked to activity in regions of the brain important for contextualizing events. The findings suggest that context matters when providing synthetic oxytocin as part of the treatment of mood-affecting conditions.

via EurekAlert|

#brain-activity #health #hormones