A touch of the nose on the neck, a soft cuddle on the knee, a finger that slides around the earlobe … they arecaresses that we can perceive as pleasant and pleasant displays of love or as a real attack, depending on who they come from. Neuroscientists from the Caltech Institute in California (USA) have discovered thatTo establish this difference, neurons present in the primary somatosensory cortex of the brain are concerned., which not only assesses physical contact “objectively”, but also emotional charge. The results are published today in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Using a functional MRI scanner, the researchers observed the brains of heterosexual men being stroked on the leg while watching a video of an attractive woman stroking the skin, in some cases, and the same video starring a man. in others. The first experience gave them pleasure, while in the second case the subjects declared feeling a visceral rejection. This difference coincided with the activity recorded in the primary somatosensory cortex. “For the first time we have shown that this area of the brain, which perceives whether an object is smooth or rough, is also sensitive to the social meaning of physical contact”, clarifies Michael Spacio, co-author of the study, adding that we do not process the characteristics separately. physical and emotional of a caress. “The emotion is present from the beginning“, he concludes.
His research partner, the Dutch Christian Keysers, assures that “nothing in our brain is totally objective.” “Our perception is deeply marked by how we feel towards things and people,” he adds. The finding could help shape social responses to physical contact in people with autism from a very young age.
