A Journal Club article by Professor Takayuki Yamashita of the Division of Neurophysiology has been published in the international journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

In this article, Professor Yamashita provides an overview of research exploring the neural mechanisms that make humans and animals feel comfort when touching certain materials. Starting from the 2002 discovery by Olausson and colleagues of the function of C-tactile afferents, he discusses how this specialized tactile pathway has been evolutionarily conserved and may play crucial roles in the formation of positive emotions, social behavior, and the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.
Future interdisciplinary research combining molecular, cellular, neural circuit, and behavioral approaches is expected to shed light on the comprehensive roles of touch in emotion, social behavior, and mental health.

 Takayuki Yamashita, “Affective tactile comfort: is a specialized sensory system involved?”