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Chiappini E, Massaccesi C, Korb S, Steyrl D, Willeit M, Silani G. Neural Hyperresponsivity During the Anticipation of Tangible Social and Nonsocial Rewards in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Concurrent Neuroimaging and Facial Electromyography Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:948-957. [PMID: 38642898 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical anticipation of social reward has been shown to lie at the core of the social challenges faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous research has yielded inconsistent results and has often overlooked crucial characteristics of stimuli. Here, we investigated ASD reward processing using social and nonsocial tangible stimuli, carefully matched on several key dimensions. METHODS We examined the anticipation and consumption of social (interpersonal touch) and nonsocial (flavored milk) rewards in 25 high-functioning individuals with ASD and 25 neurotypical adult individuals. In addition to subjective ratings of wanting and liking, we measured physical energetic expenditure to obtain the rewards, brain activity with neuroimaging, and facial reactions through electromyography on a trial-by-trial basis. RESULTS Participants with ASD did not exhibit reduced motivation for social or nonsocial rewards; their subjective ratings, motivated efforts, and facial reactions were comparable to those of neurotypical participants. However, anticipation of higher-value rewards increased neural activation in lateral parietal cortices, sensorimotor regions, and the orbitofrontal cortex. Moreover, participants with ASD exhibited hyperconnectivity between frontal medial regions and occipital regions and the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD who experienced rewards with tangible characteristics, whether social or nonsocial, displayed typical subjective and objective motivational and hedonic responses. Notably, the observed hyperactivations in sensory and attentional nodes during anticipation suggest atypical sensory overprocessing of forthcoming rewards rather than decreased reward value. While these atypicalities may not have manifested in observable behavior here, they could impact real-life social interactions that require nuanced predictions, potentially leading to the misperception of reduced interest in rewarding social stimuli in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Chiappini
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Claudia Massaccesi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Korb
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Steyrl
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthäus Willeit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Capiotto F, Romano Cappi G, Mirlisenna I, Mazza A, Cicinelli G, Lauritano C, Keller R, Dal Monte O. Autonomic and hedonic response to affective touch in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024; 17:923-933. [PMID: 38685201 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Interpersonal touch plays a crucial role in shaping relationships and encouraging social connections. Failure in processing tactile input or abnormal tactile sensitivity may hamper social behaviors and have severe consequences in individuals' relational lives. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by both sensory disruptions and social impairments, making affective touch an ideal meeting point for understanding these features in ASD individuals. By integrating behavioral and physiological measures, we investigated the effects of affective touch on adult individuals with ASD from both an implicit and explicit perspective. Specifically, at an implicit level, we investigated whether and how receiving an affective touch influenced participants' skin conductance tonic and phasic components. At the explicit level, we delved into the affective and unpleasant features of affective touch. Overall, we observed lower skin conductance level in ASD compared to TD subjects. Interestingly, the typically developing (TD) group showed an increased autonomic response for affective touch compared to a control touch, while ASD subjects' autonomic response did not differ between the two conditions. Furthermore, ASD participants provided higher ratings for both the affective and unpleasant components of the touch, compared to TD subjects. Our results reveal a noteworthy discrepancy in ASD population between the subjective experience, characterized by amplified hedonic but also unpleasant responses, and the physiological response, marked by a lack of autonomic activation related to affective touch. This insightful dissociation seems crucial for a deeper understanding of the distinctive challenges characterizing people with ASD and may have implications for diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Giovanni Cicinelli
- Adult Autism Center, Mental Health Department, Local Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Lauritano
- Adult Autism Center, Mental Health Department, Local Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Roberto Keller
- Adult Autism Center, Mental Health Department, Local Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Olga Dal Monte
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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3
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Ishikura T, Sato W, Takamatsu J, Yuguchi A, Cho SG, Ding M, Yoshikawa S, Ogasawara T. Delivery of pleasant stroke touch via robot in older adults. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1292178. [PMID: 38264418 PMCID: PMC10803411 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1292178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Touch care has clinically positive effects on older adults. Touch can be delivered using robots, addressing the lack of caregivers. A recent study of younger participants showed that stroke touch delivered via robot produced subjective and physiologically positive emotional responses similar to those evoked by human touch. However, whether robotic touch can elicit similar responses in older adults remains unknown. We investigated this topic by assessing subjective rating (valence and arousal) and physiological signals [corrugator and zygomatic electromyography (EMG) and skin conductance response (SCR)] to gentle stroking motions delivered to the backs of older participants by robot and human agents at two different speeds: 2.6 and 8.5 cm/s. Following the recent study, the participants were informed that only the robot strokes them. We compared the difference between the younger (their data from the previous study) and the older participants in their responses when the two agents (a robot and a human) stroked them. Subjectively, data from both younger and older participants showed that 8.5 cm/s stroking was more positive and arousing than 2.6 cm/s stroking for both human and robot agents. Physiologically, data from both younger and older participants showed that 8.5 cm/s stroking induced weaker corrugator EMG activity and stronger SCR activity than the 2.6 cm/s stroking for both agents. These results demonstrate that the overall patterns of the older groups responses were similar to those of the younger group, and suggest that robot-delivered stroke touch can elicit pleasant emotional responses in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Ishikura
- Robotics Laboratory, Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jun Takamatsu
- Applied Robotics Research, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, United States
| | - Akishige Yuguchi
- Robotics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Robotic Engineering Design, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Knowledge Acquisition and Dialogue Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sung-Gwi Cho
- Division of Electronic Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ming Ding
- Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute for Philosophy and Science of Art, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Ogasawara
- Robotics Laboratory, Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
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4
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Kryklywy JH, Vyas P, Maclean KE, Todd RM. Characterizing affiliative touch in humans and its role in advancing haptic design. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1528:29-41. [PMID: 37596987 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
An emerging view in cognitive neuroscience holds that the extraction of emotional relevance from sensory experience extends beyond the centralized appraisal of sensation in associative brain regions, including frontal and medial-temporal cortices. This view holds that sensory information can be emotionally valenced from the point of contact with the world. This view is supported by recent research characterizing the human affiliative touch system, which carries signals of soft, stroking touch to the central nervous system and is mediated by dedicated C-tactile afferent receptors. This basic scientific research on the human affiliative touch system is informed by, and informs, technology design for communicating and regulating emotion through touch. Here, we review recent research on the basic biology and cognitive neuroscience of affiliative touch, its regulatory effects across the lifespan, and the factors that modulate it. We further review recent work on the design of haptic technologies, devices that stimulate the affiliative touch system, such as wearable technologies that apply the sensation of soft stroking or other skin-to-skin contact, to promote physiological regulation. We then point to future directions in interdisciplinary research aimed at both furthering scientific understanding and application of haptic technology for health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Kryklywy
- Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Preeti Vyas
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Karon E Maclean
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rebecca M Todd
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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5
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Ishikura T, Kitamura Y, Sato W, Takamatsu J, Yuguchi A, Cho SG, Ding M, Yoshikawa S, Ogasawara T. Pleasant Stroke Touch on Human Back by a Human and a Robot. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:1136. [PMID: 36772176 PMCID: PMC9919452 DOI: 10.3390/s23031136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Pleasant touching is an important aspect of social interactions that is widely used as a caregiving technique. To address the problems resulting from a lack of available human caregivers, previous research has attempted to develop robots that can perform this kind of pleasant touch. However, it remains unclear whether robots can provide such a pleasant touch in a manner similar to humans. To investigate this issue, we compared the effect of the speed of gentle strokes on the back between human and robot agents on the emotional responses of human participants (n = 28). A robot or a human stroked on the participants' back at two different speeds (i.e., 2.6 and 8.5 cm/s). The participants' subjective (valence and arousal ratings) and physiological (facial electromyography (EMG) recorded from the corrugator supercilii and zygomatic major muscles and skin conductance response) emotional reactions were measured. The subjective ratings demonstrated that the speed of 8.5 cm/s was more pleasant and arousing than the speed of 2.6 cm/s for both human and robot strokes. The corrugator supercilii EMG showed that the speed of 8.5 cm/s resulted in reduced activity in response to both human and robot strokes. These results demonstrate similar speed-dependent modulations of stroke on subjective and physiological positive emotional responses across human and robot agents and suggest that robots can provide a pleasant touch similar to that of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Ishikura
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yuki Kitamura
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0228, Japan
| | - Jun Takamatsu
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Akishige Yuguchi
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
- Knowledge Acquisition and Dialogue Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0228, Japan
| | - Sung-Gwi Cho
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
- Division of Electronic Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Hatoyama-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama 350-0394, Japan
| | - Ming Ding
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
- Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Faculty of Art and Design, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto 606-8271, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Ogasawara
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
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6
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Middleton SJ, Perini I, Themistocleous AC, Weir GA, McCann K, Barry AM, Marshall A, Lee M, Mayo LM, Bohic M, Baskozos G, Morrison I, Löken LS, McIntyre S, Nagi SS, Staud R, Sehlstedt I, Johnson RD, Wessberg J, Wood JN, Woods CG, Moqrich A, Olausson H, Bennett DL. Nav1.7 is required for normal C-low threshold mechanoreceptor function in humans and mice. Brain 2022; 145:3637-3653. [PMID: 34957475 PMCID: PMC9586547 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with bi-allelic loss of function mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 present with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), whilst low threshold mechanosensation is reportedly normal. Using psychophysics (n = 6 CIP participants and n = 86 healthy controls) and facial electromyography (n = 3 CIP participants and n = 8 healthy controls), we found that these patients also have abnormalities in the encoding of affective touch, which is mediated by the specialized afferents C-low threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs). In the mouse, we found that C-LTMRs express high levels of Nav1.7. Genetic loss or selective pharmacological inhibition of Nav1.7 in C-LTMRs resulted in a significant reduction in the total sodium current density, an increased mechanical threshold and reduced sensitivity to non-noxious cooling. The behavioural consequence of loss of Nav1.7 in C-LTMRs in mice was an elevation in the von Frey mechanical threshold and less sensitivity to cooling on a thermal gradient. Nav1.7 is therefore not only essential for normal pain perception but also for normal C-LTMR function, cool sensitivity and affective touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Middleton
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Irene Perini
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Andreas C Themistocleous
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Greg A Weir
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kirsty McCann
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Allison M Barry
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Andrew Marshall
- Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, L3 5DA Liverpool, UK
| | - Michael Lee
- University Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Leah M Mayo
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Manon Bohic
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institute de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Georgios Baskozos
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - India Morrison
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Line S Löken
- Department of Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sarah McIntyre
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Saad S Nagi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Roland Staud
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Isac Sehlstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard D Johnson
- Department of Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Johan Wessberg
- Department of Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - John N Wood
- Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Christopher G Woods
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Aziz Moqrich
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institute de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Håkan Olausson
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - David L Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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7
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Robot touch with speech boosts positive emotions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6884. [PMID: 35477945 PMCID: PMC9046250 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10503-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A gentle touch is an essential part of human interaction that produces a positive care effect. Previously, robotics studies have shown that robots can reproduce a gentle touch that elicits similar, positive emotional responses in humans. However, whether the positive emotional effects of a robot's touch combined with speech can be enhanced using a multimodal approach remains unclear. This study supports the hypothesis that a multimodal interaction combining gentle touch and speech by a robot enhances positive emotional responses. Here, we conducted an experiment using a robotic arm to perform a gentle touch combined with speech and compared three conditions: touch alone, speech alone, and touch with speech. We assessed participants' subjective ratings of valence, arousal, and human likeliness using subjective emotional responses. Furthermore, we recorded facial electromyography (EMG) from the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscles and measured skin conductance levels (SCLs) as physiological emotional responses. Our results show that touch combined with speech elicited higher subjective valence and arousal ratings, stronger zygomaticus major EMG and SCL activities than touch alone. The results suggest that the positive emotional effects of robotic touch can be boosted by combining elements of speech.
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Fairhurst MT, McGlone F, Croy I. Affective touch: a communication channel for social exchange. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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9
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Psychophysiology and motivated emotion: testing the affective touch hypothesis of C-tactile afferent function. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Sacchetti S, McGlone F, Cazzato V, Mirams L. The off-line effect of affective touch on multisensory integration and tactile perceptual accuracy during the somatic signal detection task. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261060. [PMID: 34972120 PMCID: PMC8719696 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Affective touch refers to the emotional and motivational facets of tactile sensation and has been linked to the activation of a specialised system of mechanosensory afferents (the CT system), that respond optimally to slow caress-like touch. Affective touch has been shown to play an important role in the building of the bodily self: the multisensory integrated global awareness of one's own body. Here we investigated the effects of affective touch on subsequent tactile awareness and multisensory integration using the Somatic Signal Detection Task (SSDT). During the SSDT, participants were required to detect near-threshold tactile stimulation on their cheek, in the presence/absence of a concomitant light. Participants repeated the SSDT twice, before and after receiving a touch manipulation. Participants were divided into two groups: one received affective touch (CT optimal; n = 32), and the second received non-affective touch (non-CT optimal; n = 34). Levels of arousal (skin conductance levels, SCLs) and mood changes after the touch manipulation were also measured. Affective touch led to an increase in tactile accuracy, as indicated by less false reports of touch and a trend towards higher tactile sensitivity during the subsequent SSDT. Conversely, non-affective touch was found to induce a partial decrease in the correct detection of touch possibly due to a desensitization of skin mechanoreceptors. Both affective and non-affective touch induced a more positive mood and higher SCLs in participants. The increase in SCLs was greater after affective touch. We conclude that receiving affective touch enhances the sense of bodily self therefore increasing perceptual accuracy and awareness. Higher SCLs are suggested to be a possible mediator linking affective touch to a greater tactile accuracy. Clinical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Sacchetti
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Francis McGlone
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Valentina Cazzato
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Mirams
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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11
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Del Vecchio A, Castellini C, Beckerle P. Peripheral Neuroergonomics - An Elegant Way to Improve Human-Robot Interaction? Front Neurorobot 2021; 15:691508. [PMID: 34489669 PMCID: PMC8417695 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.691508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Claudio Castellini
- Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, DLR German Aerospace Center, Weßling, Germany
| | - Philipp Beckerle
- Chair of Autonomous Systems and Mechatronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Institute for Mechatronic Systems, Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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12
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Massaccesi C, Korb S, Skoluda N, Nater UM, Silani G. Effects of Appetitive and Aversive Motivational States on Wanting and Liking of Interpersonal Touch. Neuroscience 2021; 464:12-25. [PMID: 32949673 PMCID: PMC7616299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards represent a strong driving force behind decisions and behaviors. Previous research suggests that the processing of a reward depends on the initial state of the individual. However, empirical research in humans on the influence of motivational states on reward processing is scant, especially for rewards of social nature. In the present study, we aimed at investigating how aversive and appetitive motivation affects the processing of social rewards, such as interpersonal touch. Participants (n = 102) were assigned to an appetitive (positive) or aversive (negative) motivational state condition (via modified versions of the Trier Social Stress Test) or to a control condition. After the state induction, their (a) self-reports of wanting and liking, (b) effort, and (c) hedonic facial reactions during anticipation and consumption of interpersonal touch, were measured. Participants in the aversive group showed higher subjective wanting of interpersonal touch, but no changes in subjective liking, compared to the control group. The aversive group also showed stronger positive hedonic facial reactions during reward anticipation, reflecting stronger anticipatory pleasure. No significant effects were found for the appetitive group. The results indicate that, after being exposed to an aversive experience, the motivation to obtain interpersonal touch, as well as the associated anticipatory pleasure, increase, without a corresponding change in liking during or after its consumption. The findings point to differential state-dependent effects on the processing of social rewards, possibly due to the action of different neurobiological systems regulating reward anticipation and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Massaccesi
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sebastian Korb
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Faculty of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Nadine Skoluda
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Urs M Nater
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Cruciani G, Zanini L, Russo V, Mirabella M, Palamoutsi EM, Spitoni GF. Strengths and weaknesses of affective touch studies over the lifetime: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:1-24. [PMID: 33891971 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
C-Tactile (CT) fibers are activated by slow, caress-like stimulations, and convey a specific tactile processing of hedonic and interpersonal components, defined as affective touch. Given the beneficial effects deriving from affective tactile experiences in social interactions at all ages, a systematic review of experimental studies on affective touch perception across the lifespan was performed with the aims of 1) examining whether and how affective touch has been studied in a systematic manner throughout the lifespan; 2) verifying whether the pleasantness associated to affective stimulations is found during the entire lifespan. Empirical human studies on affective touch were searched in two databases (PubMed, PsychINFO) and 112 articles were retrieved. Results indicated that most of the studies recruited participants with a mean age ranging from 18 to 40 years, whereas other age ranges came out as under-represented or not represented at all. Despite high heterogeneity across studies, affective touch was considered as a pleasant experience across the lifetime, and it was associated to specific psychophysiological patterns in infants and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Cruciani
- Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Zanini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Russo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Mirabella
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306-354, Rome, Italy
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Spaccasassi C, Frigione I, Maravita A. Bliss in and Out of the Body: The (Extra)Corporeal Space Is Impervious to Social Pleasant Touch. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020225. [PMID: 33673297 PMCID: PMC7917648 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Slow, gentle stimulation of hairy skin is generally accompanied by hedonic sensations. This phenomenon, also known as (positive) affective touch, is likely to be the basis of affiliative interactions with conspecifics by promoting inter-individual bindings. Previous studies on healthy humans have demonstrated that affective touch can remarkably impact behavior. For instance, by administering the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) paradigm, the embodiment of a fake hand enhances after a slow, affective touch compared to a fast, neutral touch. However, results coming from this area are not univocal. In addition, there are no clues in the existing literature on the relationship between affective touch and the space around our body. To overcome these lacks, we carried out two separate experiments where participants underwent a RHI paradigm (Experiment 1) and a Visuo-Tactile Interaction task (Experiment 2), designed to tap into body representation and peripersonal space processing, respectively. In both experiments, an affective touch (CT-optimal, 3 cm/s) and neutral touch (CT-suboptimal, 18 cm/s) were delivered by the experimenter on the dorsal side of participants’ hand through a “skin to skin” contact. In Experiment 1, we did not find any modulation of body representation—not at behavioral nor at a physiological level—by affective touch. In Experiment 2, no visuo-tactile spatial modulation emerged depending upon the pleasantness of the touch received. These null findings are interpreted in the light of the current scientific context where the real nature of affective touch is often misguided, and they offer the possibility to pave the way for understanding the real effects of affective touch on body/space representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Spaccasassi
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, ‘Alma Mater Studiorum’, Department of Psychology, Cesena Campus, Bologna University, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Ivana Frigione
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; (I.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Angelo Maravita
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; (I.F.); (A.M.)
- Milan Centre for Neurosciences, 20126 Milano, Italy
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Bendas J, Ree A, Pabel L, Sailer U, Croy I. Dynamics of Affective Habituation to Touch Differ on the Group and Individual Level. Neuroscience 2020; 464:44-52. [PMID: 33385487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Slow stroking touch activates C-tactile (CT) fibres in the human skin and is typically described as pleasant. Over a longer duration of stroking, affective habituation sets in, indicated by a reduction in rated pleasantness. However, it is not clear whether the group level effect is represented on an individual level. We analyse the stability of individual ratings of slow stroking touch and their relationship to behavioural and physiological measures. Forty-eight participants (23 women) were repeatedly stroked with a velocity maximally activating CT fibres. The perceived pleasantness was rated on a visual analogue scale. In order to examine the stability of pleasantness ratings, the experiment was repeated after a couple of days. During the experiment, electrocardiogram (ECG) and facial-electromyography (EMG) data were recorded. On the group-level, previous results of affective habituation to touch were replicated and stable across sessions. On the individual level, however, less than half of the participants showed a significant reduction of pleasantness in the course of the experiment. Moreover, the remaining participants showed either no change, random rating behaviour or even an increase in pleasantness ratings during the course of the experiment. The individual response patterns were variable across sessions but stable above the chance level. Furthermore, the response patterns could not be explicitly associated with any of the behavioural or physiological measures. Our findings indicate a lack of group-to-individual generalizability for affective habituation to touch. The variability of rating patterns over time indicates that they are not conclusively determined by stable individual characteristics. Future research investigating touch should favour a more individual approach to the more commonly applied group analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bendas
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, Ev.-Luth. Diakonissenanstalt zu Flensburg, Germany.
| | - Anbjørn Ree
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Luise Pabel
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Uta Sailer
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
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Novembre G, Etzi R, Morrison I. Hedonic Responses to Touch are Modulated by the Perceived Attractiveness of the Caresser. Neuroscience 2020; 464:79-89. [PMID: 33075458 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that a specific type of C fiber, the C tactile afferents, are involved in detecting gentle, dynamic tactile stimuli on the skin, giving rise to affective responses in the central nervous system. Despite building on such bottom-up information flow, the hedonic perception and the physiological consequences of affective touch are influenced by various sources of top-down information. In the present study we investigated how perception of affective touch is influenced by the attractiveness of hypothetical caressers. Participants were stroked on the arm and the palm while looking at photos of high attractive and low attractive opposite-gender faces, and were instructed to imagine those people as the caressers. In a control condition no photo was paired with the touch. The stroking stimulation was delivered with a soft brush either on the forearm or on the palm, and either with a slower or faster speed. Participants rated the pleasantness of each stimulation, while electrocardiographic recordings were made to extract heart rate variability data. Results showed that participants preferred touch stimuli paired with high attractive faces; they also preferred palm stroking and slower stroking speed. Like subjective pleasantness ratings, heart rate variability responses to affective touch (slow) were higher for high attractive than for low attractive caressers, but were not selective for arm or palm stroking. Overall, the present study confirms that contextual social information plays a major role in affective touch experiences, influencing not only the hedonic quality of the experience but also the physiological state of the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Novembre
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science (BKV), Linköping University, Sweden.
| | - Roberta Etzi
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science (BKV), Linköping University, Sweden; University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Milan, Italy
| | - India Morrison
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science (BKV), Linköping University, Sweden
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Korb S, Götzendorfer SJ, Massaccesi C, Sezen P, Graf I, Willeit M, Eisenegger C, Silani G. Dopaminergic and opioidergic regulation during anticipation and consumption of social and nonsocial rewards. eLife 2020; 9:e55797. [PMID: 33046213 PMCID: PMC7553773 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The observation of animal orofacial and behavioral reactions has played a fundamental role in research on reward but is seldom assessed in humans. Healthy volunteers (N = 131) received 400 mg of the dopaminergic antagonist amisulpride, 50 mg of the opioidergic antagonist naltrexone, or placebo. Subjective ratings, physical effort, and facial reactions to matched primary social (affective touch) and nonsocial (food) rewards were assessed. Both drugs resulted in lower physical effort and greater negative facial reactions during reward anticipation, especially of food rewards. Only opioidergic manipulation through naltrexone led to a reduction in positive facial reactions to liked rewards during reward consumption. Subjective ratings of wanting and liking were not modulated by either drug. Results suggest that facial reactions during anticipated and experienced pleasure rely on partly different neurochemical systems, and also that the neurochemical bases for food and touch rewards are not identical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Korb
- Department of Psychology, University of EssexColchesterUnited Kingdom
- Department of Cognition, Emotion and Methods in Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Claudia Massaccesi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Patrick Sezen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Irene Graf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Matthäus Willeit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Department of Cognition, Emotion and Methods in Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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18
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Ree A, Bendas J, Pabel L, Croy I, Sailer U. Right between the eyes: Corrugator muscle activity tracks the changing pleasantness of repeated slow stroking touch. Physiol Behav 2020; 222:112903. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
Abstract. When gently stroked with velocities between 0.1 and 30
cm/s, participants typically rate velocities around 3 cm/s as most pleasant, and
the ratings follow an inverted u-shape. This pleasantness curve correlates
often, but not always, with the firing rate of unmyelinated C-tactile (CT)
afferents, leading to the notion that CT afferents code for the hedonic or
emotional aspect of gentle touch. However, there is also evidence that CT firing
does not necessarily equal pleasantness, and the range of attributes that CT
afferents code for is not known. Here, participants were stroked with different
velocities assumed to activate CT afferents to a different extent while they
rated the touch on several sensory and emotional attributes. We expected an
inverted u-shaped rating curve for pleasantness and other emotional attributes,
but not for sensory attributes. Inverted u-shaped rating patterns were found for
the emotional attributes “pleasant” and “not
burdensome,” but also for the sensory attribute “rough.”
CT-directed stimulation is thus not only experienced as hedonic. The sensations
arising from CTs together with all other types of mechanoreceptors might be
centrally integrated into a percept that represents those aspects which are most
salient for the stimulation at hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Marlene Hausmann
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
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Zheng X, Shiomi M, Minato T, Ishiguro H. What Kinds of Robot's Touch Will Match Expressed Emotions? IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2019.2947010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Facial responses of adult humans during the anticipation and consumption of touch and food rewards. Cognition 2020; 194:104044. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Effects of MDMA on attention to positive social cues and pleasantness of affective touch. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1698-1705. [PMID: 31042696 PMCID: PMC6785008 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0402-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The psychostimulant drug ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) reportedly produces distinctive feelings of empathy and closeness with others. MDMA increases social behavior in animal models and has shown promise in psychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How it produces these prosocial effects is not known. This behavioral and psychophysiological study examined the effects of MDMA, compared with the prototypical stimulant methamphetamine (MA), on two measures of social behavior in healthy young adults: (i) responses to socially relevant, "affective" touch, and (ii) visual attention to emotional faces. Men and women (N = 36) attended four sessions in which they received MDMA (0.75 or 1.5 mg/kg), MA (20 mg), or a placebo in randomized order under double-blind conditions. Responses to experienced and observed affective touch (i.e., being touched or watching others being touched) were assessed using facial electromyography (EMG), a proxy of affective state. Responses to emotional faces were assessed using electrooculography (EOG) in a measure of attentional bias. Subjective ratings were also included. We hypothesized that MDMA, but not MA, would enhance the ratings of pleasantness and psychophysiological responses to affective touch and increase attentional bias toward positive facial expressions. Consistent with this, we found that MDMA, but not MA, selectively enhanced ratings of pleasantness of experienced affective touch. Neither drug altered the ratings of pleasantness of observed touch. On the EOG measure of attentional bias, MDMA, but not MA, increased attention toward happy faces. These results provide new evidence that MDMA can enhance the experience of positive social interactions; in this case, pleasantness of physical touch and attentional bias toward positive facial expressions. The findings are consistent with evidence that the prosocial effects are unique to MDMA relative to another stimulant. Understanding the behavioral and neurobiological processes underlying the distinctive social effects of MDMA is a key step to developing the drug for psychiatric disorders.
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