Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans
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.
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C-tactile afferents are specially attuned to social touch, particularly affiliative touch such as gentle stroking, and have been found in all mammals studied.
“Subsequent research on the importance of touch in mammals has discovered the existence of nerve fibres called C-tactile afferents that are specially attuned to social touch, particularly affiliative touch such as gentle stroking [62,63]. These have been found in all mammals studied, including primates, pigs, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and cats [64,65].”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [62]
CT-optimized touch is perceived as highly pleasant in healthy individuals.
“Interestingly, while CT-optimized touch is perceived as highly pleasant in healthy individuals ( Löken et al., 2009 ), individuals with PTSD and/or history of trauma can report it as feeling unpleasant and intense ( Badura-Brack et al., 2015 ; Strauss et al., 2019 ; Maier et al., 2020 ).”
From The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders (2022) · cites this paper as Löken et al., 2009
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- Authors
- Löken, L. S., Wessberg, J., Morrison, I., McGlone, F., & Olausson, H.
- Affiliations
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SE)
- Unilever (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Löken, Line S
- Olausson, Håkan
- Venue
- Nature Neuroscience
- Published
- 2009-04-12
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 547-548
- ISSN
- 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1726
- OpenAlex
- W1975312927
- Cited by
- 1,120
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 75 · 2025: 88 · 2024: 77 · 2023: 88 · 2022: 94 · 2021: 103 · 2020: 115 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 63 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 71 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 14.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Wenner-Gren Foundation
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Ion Channels and Receptors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- C-tactile afferents, low-threshold mechanoreceptors, tactile coding, myelinated afferents, peripheral nerve fibers
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Adaptation, Physiological, Affect, Afferent Pathways, Cerebral Cortex, Electrophysiology, Humans, Mechanoreceptors, Perception, Physical Stimulation, Sensory Receptor Cells, Reward, Skin, Skin Physiological Phenomena, Social Behavior, Touch, Hair Follicle, Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated, Mechanotransduction, Cellular
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