Gursul, D;
Goksan, S;
Hartley, C;
Mellado, GS;
Moultrie, F;
Hoskin, A;
Adams, E;
... Slater, R; + view all
(2018)
Stroking modulates noxious-evoked brain activity in human infants.
[Letter].
Current Biology
, 28
(24)
R1380-R1381.
10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.014.
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Abstract
A subclass of C fibre sensory neurons found in hairy skin are activated by gentle touch [1] and respond optimally to stroking at ∼1-10 cm/s, serving a protective function by promoting affiliative behaviours. In adult humans, stimulation of these C-tactile (CT) afferents is pleasant, and can reduce pain perception [2]. Touch-based techniques, such as infant massage and kangaroo care, are designed to comfort infants during procedures, and a modest reduction in pain-related behavioural and physiological responses has been observed in some studies [3]. Here, we investigated whether touch can reduce noxious-evoked brain activity. We demonstrate that stroking (at 3 cm/s) prior to an experimental noxious stimulus or clinical heel lance can attenuate noxious-evoked brain activity in infants. CT fibres may represent a biological target for non-pharmacological interventions that modulate pain in early life. Supplemental Information contains two figures and experimental procedures, and can be found with this article online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.014.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Stroking modulates noxious-evoked brain activity in human infants |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.014 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.014 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Culture, Communication and Media |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10065547 |
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