Behavioral response to tactile stimuli relates to brain response to affective touch in 12-month-old infants. 2020

Helga O Miguel, and Óscar F Gonçalves, and Adriana Sampaio
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Affective touch activates a brain network responsible for processing social-emotional stimuli in infants, children, and adults, with a core node in the superior temporal sulcus (STS). STS is known to be a region highly susceptible to individual variability, including for tactile stimuli processing. However, little is known about how this region is recruited to process affective touch in infancy. The aim of this study was to examine brain activity to affective touch in the temporal region (STS) and understand if it relates to behavioral patterns of sensory-over responsivity (SOR) to touch. Twelve-month-old infants (n = 24) were given affective and discriminative stimuli to the forearm while they were watching a silent movie. Brain activation was recorded in the STS for measures of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO2 ) and deoxy-hemoglobin (Hbb) using functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIRS). Aversive responses to tactile stimuli were measured using the Infant-Toddler Sensory Profile. A significant hemodynamic response increase in HbO2 to affective touch was observed in the STS for infants with less aversive behavioral responses to tactile stimuli. The findings suggest that brain activity in the STS for affective touch might be related to individual differences in the affective reaction toward touch.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008297 Male Males
D002657 Child Development The continuous sequential physiological and psychological maturing of an individual from birth up to but not including ADOLESCENCE. Infant Development,Development, Child,Development, Infant
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000339 Affect The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which instincts manifest themselves. Mood,Affects,Moods
D012938 Social Perception The perceiving of attributes, characteristics, and behaviors of one's associates or social groups. Perception, Social,Perceptions, Social,Social Perceptions
D055698 Touch Perception The process by which the nature and meaning of tactile stimuli are recognized and interpreted by the brain, such as realizing the characteristics or name of an object being touched. Tactile Perception,Perception, Tactile,Perception, Touch,Perceptions, Tactile,Perceptions, Touch,Tactile Perceptions,Touch Perceptions
D059907 Functional Neuroimaging Methods for visualizing REGIONAL BLOOD FLOW, metabolic, electrical, or other physiological activities in the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM using various imaging modalities. Functional Brain Imaging,Brain Imaging, Functional,Brain Imagings, Functional,Functional Brain Imagings,Imaging, Functional Brain,Imagings, Functional Brain,Neuroimaging, Functional
D019265 Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared A noninvasive technique that uses the differential absorption properties of hemoglobin and myoglobin to evaluate tissue oxygenation and indirectly can measure regional hemodynamics and blood flow. Near-infrared light (NIR) can propagate through tissues and at particular wavelengths is differentially absorbed by oxygenated vs. deoxygenated forms of hemoglobin and myoglobin. Illumination of intact tissue with NIR allows qualitative assessment of changes in the tissue concentration of these molecules. The analysis is also used to determine body composition. NIR Spectroscopy,Spectrometry, Near-Infrared,NIR Spectroscopies,Near-Infrared Spectrometries,Near-Infrared Spectrometry,Near-Infrared Spectroscopies,Near-Infrared Spectroscopy,Spectrometries, Near-Infrared,Spectrometry, Near Infrared,Spectroscopies, NIR,Spectroscopies, Near-Infrared,Spectroscopy, NIR,Spectroscopy, Near Infrared

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