Stroking modulates noxious-evoked brain activity in human infants

Abstract

SummaryA subclass of C fibre sensory neurons found in hairy skin are activated by gentle touch [1] and respond optimally to stroking at ∼1–10 cm/s, serving a protective function by promoting affiliative behaviours. In adult humans, stimulation of these C-tactile (CT) afferents is pleasant, and can reduce pain perception [2]. Touch-based techniques, such as infant massage and kangaroo care, are designed to comfort infants during procedures, and a modest reduction in pain-related behavioural and physiological responses has been observed in some studies [3]. Here, we investigated whether touch can reduce noxious-evoked brain activity. We demonstrate that stroking (at 3 cm/s) prior to an experimental noxious stimulus or clinical heel lance can attenuate noxious-evoked brain activity in infants. CT fibres may represent a biological target for non-pharmacological interventions that modulate pain in early life.

Nociception and the neonatal brain

“…However, this is not always the case – some individuals do not have correlated NIRS and EEG responses [31], noxious-evoked brain activity can be observed in the absence of facial expression responses[ [21,40,75]], behavioural and physiological measures are not always harmonious [76,77], and cry presence or amplitude does not correlate with noxious-evoked brain activity [78,79]. Additionally, contextual factors and interventions can disrupt the relationship between ordinarily concordant measures: stress [80] and prior pain [81] disturb the relationship between behavioural measures and noxious-evoked brain activity, sucrose reduces facial expression responses but does not alter noxious-evoked brain activity or reflex withdrawal [82], and gentle touch reduces noxious-evoked brain activity but does not appear to alter reflex withdrawal [83].…”

Early rehabilitation of newborns moved by perinatal hypoxia

“…Его назначение возможно после стабилизации ребенка. Массаж обеспечивает тактильно-кинестетическую стимуляцию и повышает парасимпатическую активность [35][36][37][38]. Во время массажа у недоношенных новорожденных изменяется амплитуда электроэнцефалограмм, на которых преобладают δ-волны.…”

Multimodal pain assessment improves discrimination between noxious and non‐noxious stimuli in infants

“…A total of 109 infants were included in this study. Infants were recruited for a range of previously published and unpublished studies 8,25,26 and were not specifically recruited for this study. Infants to build the multimodal model.…”