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tactile stimulation

·July 22, 2025·5 min read

Tickling Strengthens Bonding Through Oxytocin Pathways

A new study reveals how pleasant touch fosters social bonds between humans and rats by activating oxytocin signaling in the brain. Researchers found that repeated tickling of rats increased their vocalizations, preference for human interaction, and oxytocin receptor expression in the VMHvl region.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 4, 2024·7 min read

16 Nerve Cell Types Identified in Human Touch

Researchers identified 16 distinct types of nerve cells involved in human touch and compared them with those in mice and macaques, showing both shared and unique traits. The study reveals unexpected complexities in how nerve cells respond to stimuli, suggesting a sensory system that integrates multiple types of sensations.

This shows emoji faces and a person's hand.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 12, 2024·4 min read

Tactile Emoticons Boost Social Media Communication

Incorporating tactile emoticons into social media interactions enhances feelings of support and approval. Participants using a mock platform preferred receiving feedback through both visual and tactile cues over visual-only feedback. Tactile feedback, such as a stroke on the forearm, conveyed additional emotional context. The findings suggest touch can improve digital communication, informing future technology developments.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 29, 2024·4 min read

Illusory Touch: Creating Real Sensations with Phantom Vibrations

Researchers discovered the minimal distance required for a vibrating point to create a phantom sensation of movement on the skin. By placing two vibrotactile actuators on different skin locations, they demonstrated that people could feel an illusory moving point between them.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 8, 2024·6 min read

Healing Touch: Mental Health Improved with Touch Intervention

Touch interventions significantly benefit both physical and mental health, with particular advantages for individuals facing health challenges. The study, aggregating hundreds of individual studies, demonstrates that the nature of the touch, the person providing it, or the duration matters less than the frequency, suggesting even brief interactions like hugs can be profoundly impactful.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 3, 2024·3 min read

Tickling: A Path to Unexpected Pleasures

A new study explores tickling in a sexual context, revealing its role in sexual arousal and satisfaction for some individuals. The research surveyed 719 participants, uncovering that tickling can lead to sexual satisfaction and, in some cases, orgasms.

Featured Neuroscience Pain

·February 6, 2024·5 min read

Schwann Cells Key to Touch and Pain

Schwann cells, previously known for their role as insulators around nerve fibers, are actively involved in detecting sensory stimuli such as touch and pain. This groundbreaking study reveals that specific types of Schwann cells form a network just beneath the skin's surface, directly connecting to nerve endings responsible for sensing mechanical pressure.

This shows a man and woman holding hands

Featured Neuroscience

·October 11, 2021·6 min read

Unraveling the Mystery of Touch

Study provides a new understanding of the neuroscience mechanisms that make some parts of the body so sensitive to touch.

This shows a person using the hand, holding out a cake

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·August 16, 2021·6 min read

Inflatable Robotic Hand Gives Amputees Real-Time Tactile Control

MIT researchers have developed a new, lightweight robotic hand that provides tactile feedback and is dexterous enough to perform tasks like zipping a suitcase and pouring juice.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 9, 2021·6 min read

Neurons That Respond to Touch Are Less Picky Than Expected

Contradicting conventional thought, researchers find neurons associated with processing touch sensations do not simply respond to distinct types of touch. Instead, these neurons respond to many types of touch, and to varying degrees.

This shows an adult's finger touching a child's finger

Featured Neuroscience

·February 10, 2021·4 min read

How the Brain Makes Sense of Touch

Study identifies specific neurons that help activate sensory processing in nearby nerve cells. The findings suggest ways the brain integrates signals essential for tactile perception and learning.

This shows a little girl lifting a piece of watermelon to her lips

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 6, 2021·4 min read

Direct Touch of Food Makes Eating Experience More Enjoyable

For people who control their food consumption, the direct touch of picking up food triggers an enhanced sensory response, making the food more desirable and appealing.