Neural correlates of ticklishness in the rat somatosensory cortex-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Neural correlates of ticklishness in the rat somatosensory cortex

Published:2016-11-11 Issue:6313 Volume:354 Page:757-760
ISSN:0036-8075
Container-title:Science
language:en
Short-container-title:Science

Author:

Ishiyama S.¹,Brecht M.¹²

Affiliation:

1. Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.

2. NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Resolving a ticklish problem What is the neural correlate of ticklishness? When Ishiyama and Brecht tickled rats, the animals produced noises and other joyful responses. During the tickling, the authors observed nerve cell activity in deep layers of the somatosensory cortex corresponding to the animals' trunks. Furthermore, microstimulation of this brain region evoked the same behavior. Just as in humans, mood could modulate this neuronal activity. Anxiety-inducing situations suppressed the cells' firing, and the animal could no longer be tickled. Science , this issue p. 757

Funder

BCCN Berlin

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Subject

Multidisciplinary

Reference34 articles.

1. The Psychology of Tickling, Laughing, and the Comic

2. Aristotle On the Parts of Animals W. Ogle trans. (K. Paul Trench & Co. London 1882).

3. The Mystery of Ticklish Laughter