Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism
Touch represents one of our most important senses throughout life and particularly in the context of our social and emotional experiences. In this review, we draw on research on touch processing from both animal models and humans. Firstly, we briefly describe the cutaneous touch receptors and neural...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791/full |
| _version_ | 1811218499858595840 |
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| author | Qin Li Qin Li Weihua Zhao Keith M. Kendrick |
| author_facet | Qin Li Qin Li Weihua Zhao Keith M. Kendrick |
| author_sort | Qin Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Touch represents one of our most important senses throughout life and particularly in the context of our social and emotional experiences. In this review, we draw on research on touch processing from both animal models and humans. Firstly, we briefly describe the cutaneous touch receptors and neural processing of both affective and discriminative touch. We then outline how our sense of touch develops and summarize increasing evidence demonstrating how essential early tactile stimulation is for the development of brain and behavior, with a particular focus on effects of tactile stimulation in infant animals and pediatric massage and Kangaroo care in human infants. Next, the potential mechanisms whereby early tactile stimulation influences both brain and behavioral development are discussed, focusing on its ability to promote neural plasticity changes and brain interhemispheric communication, development of social behavior and bonding, and reward sensitivity through modulation of growth factor, oxytocin, and opioid signaling. Finally, we consider the implications of evidence for atypical responses to touch in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and discuss existing evidence and future priorities for establishing potential beneficial effects of interventions using massage or pharmacological treatments targeting oxytocin or other neurochemical systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:10:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9fe2a6038a2401bb49998ee5d5f0fdd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:10:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9fe2a6038a2401bb49998ee5d5f0fdd2022-12-22T03:42:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-11-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791967791Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autismQin Li0Qin Li1Weihua Zhao2Keith M. Kendrick3School of Foreign Language, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, ChinaMinistry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaMinistry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaMinistry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaTouch represents one of our most important senses throughout life and particularly in the context of our social and emotional experiences. In this review, we draw on research on touch processing from both animal models and humans. Firstly, we briefly describe the cutaneous touch receptors and neural processing of both affective and discriminative touch. We then outline how our sense of touch develops and summarize increasing evidence demonstrating how essential early tactile stimulation is for the development of brain and behavior, with a particular focus on effects of tactile stimulation in infant animals and pediatric massage and Kangaroo care in human infants. Next, the potential mechanisms whereby early tactile stimulation influences both brain and behavioral development are discussed, focusing on its ability to promote neural plasticity changes and brain interhemispheric communication, development of social behavior and bonding, and reward sensitivity through modulation of growth factor, oxytocin, and opioid signaling. Finally, we consider the implications of evidence for atypical responses to touch in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and discuss existing evidence and future priorities for establishing potential beneficial effects of interventions using massage or pharmacological treatments targeting oxytocin or other neurochemical systems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791/fulloxytocinaffective touchautism (ASD)brain developmentmassage |
| spellingShingle | Qin Li Qin Li Weihua Zhao Keith M. Kendrick Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism Frontiers in Psychology oxytocin affective touch autism (ASD) brain development massage |
| title | Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism |
| title_full | Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism |
| title_fullStr | Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism |
| title_short | Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism |
| title_sort | affective touch in the context of development oxytocin signaling and autism |
| topic | oxytocin affective touch autism (ASD) brain development massage |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791/full |
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