How gentle touch and deep pressure create pleasant feelings and reduce pain
Dynamic Evaluation of Neural Mechanisms for Affective Touch: Pathways for Touch-induced Pleasantness and Pain Modulation
This project looks at how gentle stroking and deep pressure change feelings of pleasantness and reduce pain in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11304576 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would visit the UC San Diego lab where researchers apply gentle stroking and deep pressure to see how those touches feel and whether they change pain. They will temporarily alter or reduce signals from specific nerve fibers (A- and C-fibers) and record brain activity to identify which nerves and brain areas drive pleasantness and pain relief. The team will use machine learning to tease apart individual nerve contributions and will measure how your internal body awareness (interoception) relates to touch effects. Participation likely involves sensory testing and brief, noninvasive procedures during in-person visits.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older who can attend in-person lab visits and are willing to undergo sensory testing and brief procedures may be eligible.
Not a fit: People under 21, those who cannot tolerate touch or brief nerve procedures, or those with unstable medical conditions or incompatible implants likely would not benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve massage-based or touch-centered approaches for relaxation and chronic pain relief.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human research supports a role for C-tactile fibers in pleasant touch and for massage in pain relief, but the specific contributions of A- versus C-fibers and the detailed brain pathways remain incompletely understood.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Case, Laura K — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Case, Laura K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.