Researchers report that in three experiments involving 54 participants, significant distinctions emerged between self-touch and touch from others in neural processing at the cortical and spinal cord levels, with self-touch involving deactivation of several brain regions that were active during other-touch, as well as functional connectivity between the brain's sensorimotor cortex and insula and an elevated threshold for detection of additional tactile input.
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Article #18-16278: "Distinction of self-produced touch and social touch at cortical and spinal cord levels," by Rebecca Böhme, Steven Hauser, Gregory Gerling, Markus Heilig, and Håkan Olausson.
MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Böhme, Linköping University, SWEDEN; e-mail: rebecca.bohme@liu.se
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences