Timmy Strauss1, Fabian Rottstädt1, Uta Sailer2, Julia Schellong1, J Paul Hamilton3, Claudia Raue4, Kerstin Weidner1, Ilona Croy1. 1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 2. Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. 4. Department of Neuroradiology, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Interpersonal touch is a key aspect of human interaction and a usually very comforting experience. For patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) caused by interpersonal traumatization, such touch is affectively ambiguous. METHODS: In two studies, we investigated the experience and neural processing of various types of interpersonal and impersonal touch in patients as compared with healthy controls. RESULTS: Patients strongly disliked show, interpersonal skin-to-skin stroking, while controls appreciated this kind of touch. No group differences were observed for ratings of impersonal touch. Similarly, the neural activation differed between groups for interpersonal, but not for impersonal touch. The interpersonal touch aversion in patients was accompanied by enhanced blood-oxygen-level-dependent response in the superior temporal gyrus and by a pronounced reduction of response in the hippocampus. This reduction was significantly correlated to symptoms of negative alterations and arousal within the patients. CONCLUSION: We interpret the hippocampal suppression as an attempt to control traumatic memories, evoked by interpersonal touch. This mechanism may maintain the aversion of interpersonal touch in patients with interpersonal trauma-related PTSD.
BACKGROUND: Interpersonal touch is a key aspect of human interaction and a usually very comforting experience. For patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) caused by interpersonal traumatization, such touch is affectively ambiguous. METHODS: In two studies, we investigated the experience and neural processing of various types of interpersonal and impersonal touch in patients as compared with healthy controls. RESULTS:Patients strongly disliked show, interpersonal skin-to-skin stroking, while controls appreciated this kind of touch. No group differences were observed for ratings of impersonal touch. Similarly, the neural activation differed between groups for interpersonal, but not for impersonal touch. The interpersonal touch aversion in patients was accompanied by enhanced blood-oxygen-level-dependent response in the superior temporal gyrus and by a pronounced reduction of response in the hippocampus. This reduction was significantly correlated to symptoms of negative alterations and arousal within the patients. CONCLUSION: We interpret the hippocampal suppression as an attempt to control traumatic memories, evoked by interpersonal touch. This mechanism may maintain the aversion of interpersonal touch in patients with interpersonal trauma-related PTSD.
Authors: Francesco Cerritelli; Marco Chiera; Marco Abbro; Valentino Megale; Jorge Esteves; Alberto Gallace; Andrea Manzotti Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2021-06-30 Impact factor: 4.003