Brain mechanisms for processing caress-like touch in skin-picking disorder.

ABSTRACT: Skin-picking disorder (SPD) is characterized by repetitive touching and picking of one's skin. The picking is typically experienced as pleasant although this behavior leads to tissue damage. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated how individuals with SPD react to caress-like touch, which stimulates C-tactile afferents. A standardized touch procedure was used. Seventy females with a primary diagnosis of SPD and 62 healthy females received CT-optimal brushing of their forearms (3 cm/s) and non-optimal brushing (30 cm/s) during an fMRI session. The two types of tactile stimulation were rated according to pleasure, arousal, and urge to pick one's skin. Relative to healthy controls, patients with SPD showed greater activation in parietal regions (supramargin

SUBMITTER: Schienle A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10786990 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature