Neural Correlates of Social Touch Processing: An fMRI Study on Brain Functional Connectivity—Graphic Abstract

10 April 2025

The research team consisted of Vladimir Khorev, Semen Kurkin, Larisa Mayorova, Galina Portnova, Anastasia Kushnir and Alexander Hramov from Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Science.

This fMRI study investigates the neural effects of social touch by comparing functional connectivity in 27 participants who received a 5-minute calf and foot massage before resting-state fMRI scans against 11 controls without massage. Results revealed that the control group exhibited higher connectivity in a subnetwork involving 25 connections and 23 nodes post-intervention, particularly within the left anterior pulvinar thalamus and right pregenual anterior cingulate cortex—key hubs linked to sensory and emotional processing. The experimental group showed hypoactivation in these regions, suggesting massage-induced reductions in network segregation, potentially reflecting relaxation. The findings highlight how tactile experiences alter brain connectivity, offering insights for therapeutic applications in conditions like autism, sensory loss, or stress-related disorders. Limitations include small sample sizes and unaccounted prior massage experiences.

Read the article:

Neural Correlates of Social Touch Processing: An fMRI Study on Brain Functional Connectivity: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/1/10.31083/JIN26280

Neural Correlates of Cognitive Deficit in Emotional Directed Forgetting in Major Depressive Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/2/10.31083/JIN25234

Neural Correlates of Social Perception Deficit in Schizophrenia: An Event-related Potential Study: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/1/10.31083/JIN25427

Altered Effective Connectivity of the Pain Matrix in Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia Patients: Granger Causality Analysis of Resting-State fMRI: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/23/8/10.31083/j.jin2308147