A neurobiological evaluation of soft touch training for patients with skin-picking disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with skin-picking disorder (SPD) display reduced neural sensitivity to slow/soft touch. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated the effects of Soft Touch Training (STT) on neural correlates of touch processing and SPD symptoms.

Method

Females with a primary diagnosis of SPD (n = 57) were randomly assigned to receive either four weeks of STT (guided soft brushing of selected skin regions) or Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) training (guided tensing and relaxing of selected muscle regions). The app-assisted intervention consisted of 15-minute daily training sessions at home. Before and after the four-week intervention, the two groups participated in a standardized tactile stimulation procedure during fMRI (affective vs non

SUBMITTER: Schienle A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9668654 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature