Neural correlates of gentle skin stroking in early infancy

Jetro J Tuulari; Noora M Scheinin; Satu Lehtola; Harri Merisaari; Jani Saunavaara; Riitta Parkkola; Isac Sehlstedt; Linnea Karlsson; Hasse Karlsson; Malin Björnsdotter

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.10.004

Neural correlates of gentle skin stroking in early infancy

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2019 Feb:35:36-41. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.10.004. Epub 2017 Oct 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
² FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
³ FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
⁴ FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
⁵ Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁶ Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁷ Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Sweden; Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁸ FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁹ Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Sweden; Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: malin.bjornsdotter@gmail.com.

Abstract

Physical expressions of affection play a foundational role in early brain development, but the neural correlates of affective touch processing in infancy remain unclear. We examined brain responses to gentle skin stroking, a type of tactile stimulus associated with affectionate touch, in young infants. Thirteen term-born infants aged 11-36days, recruited through the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, were included in the study. Soft brush strokes, which activate brain regions linked to somatosensory as well as socio-affective processing in children and adults, were applied to the skin of the right leg during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We examined infant brain responses in two regions-of-interest (ROIs) known to process gentle skin stroking - the postcentral gyrus and posterior insular cortex - and found significant responses in both ROIs. These results suggest that the neonate brain is responsive to gentle skin stroking within the first weeks of age, and that regions linked to primary somatosensory as well as socio-affective processing are activated. Our findings support the notion that social touch may play an important role in early life sensory processing. Future research will elucidate the significance of these findings for human brain development.

Keywords: Development; Infants; Social touch; Touch; fMRI.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain Mapping
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Male
Physical Stimulation / methods*
Skin / blood supply*
Touch / physiology*
Touch Perception / physiology*