Davidovic Monika, Jönsson Emma H, Olausson Håkan, Björnsdotter Malin
Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden.
Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University Linköping, Sweden.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2016 Sep 13;10:432. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00432. eCollection 2016.
Love and affection is expressed through a range of physically intimate gestures, including caresses. Recent studies suggest that posterior temporal lobe areas typically associated with visual processing of social cues also respond to interpersonal touch. Here, we asked whether these areas are selective to caress-like skin stroking. We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 23 healthy participants and compared brain responses to skin stroking and vibration. We did not find any significant differences between stroking and vibration in the posterior temporal lobe; however, right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) responses predicted healthy participant's perceived pleasantness of skin stroking, but not vibration. These findings link right pSTS responses to individual variability in perceived pleasantness of caress-like tactile stimuli. We speculate that the right pSTS may play a role in the translation of tactile stimuli into positively valenced, socially relevant interpersonal touch and that this system may be affected in disorders associated with impaired attachment.
爱和情感通过一系列身体亲密的姿势来表达，包括抚摸。最近的研究表明，通常与社交线索视觉处理相关的颞叶后部区域也会对人际触摸做出反应。在这里，我们询问这些区域是否对类似抚摸的皮肤轻触具有选择性。我们收集了23名健康参与者的功能磁共振成像数据，并比较了大脑对皮肤轻触和振动的反应。我们在颞叶后部未发现轻触和振动之间存在任何显著差异；然而，右侧颞上沟后部（pSTS）的反应预测了健康参与者对皮肤轻触的愉悦感，但对振动则不然。这些发现将右侧pSTS的反应与类似抚摸的触觉刺激的愉悦感个体差异联系起来。我们推测，右侧pSTS可能在将触觉刺激转化为具有积极效价、与社会相关的人际触摸中发挥作用，并且这个系统可能在与依恋受损相关的疾病中受到影响。
