ArticlePain reports
C-tactile touch perception in patients with chronic pain disorders.
Article in Pain reports. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pain mechanisms in complex regional pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative sensory testing outcomes.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Pooled it
- The hijacked insula: A stratified model of affective touch modulation in chronic pain.Journal of neuropsychology · 2026Review
- Modulation of pain by affective touch: effects of childhood trauma, depression, chronic pain, and spinal segment.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
- Distinct effects of fibromyalgia pain, depression and anxiety on perception of affective touch and pain.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
- MASSAG model: Towards an integrative neuroscience framework linking emotional trauma, pain, and mechanisms of force-based manipulations.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2026Review
- Peripheral Gating of Nociception Investigated with a Decerebrate, Arterially Perfused Preparation of the Rat.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025Article
- Sensory processing in medically unexplained pain syndrome. A systematic review.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Review
- Age-dependent small fiber neuropathy: Mechanistic insights from animal models.Experimental neurology · 2024Review
- Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Prokineticin Receptors in Diseases.Pharmacological reviews · 2023Review
- The analgesic power of pleasant touch in individuals with chronic pain: Recent findings and new insights.Frontiers in integrative neuroscience · 2022Review
- Paresthesia Is Predictive of Symptom Recurrence After Fasciotomy for Exertional Compartment Syndrome of the Leg.Sports healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSlow brushing over the skin activates C-tactile nerve fibers that transmit pleasant tactile experiences in healthy subjects, leading to an inverted U-shaped velocity dependence of ratings: C-tactile optimal stroking stimulations are rated as more pleasant than slower or faster stimulations. Chronic pain diseases such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and complex regional pain syndrome show altered C-fiber innervation density, sensory loss, and pain sensitization.
objectivesWe aimed to investigate whether C-tactile function is affected in painful conditions.
methodsWe assessed psychophysically C-tactile function and sensory perception thresholds in 16 patients with PHN, 19 patients with complex regional pain syndrome, and 22 healthy controls.
resultsAssessment of C-tactile function showed a significantly altered perceived pleasantness of CT stimulation between healthy controls and patients with chronic pain. In specific, tactile stimulation was perceived less pleasant on the affected and contralateral side when compared with controls. In patients with PHN, velocity-dependent pleasantness ratings could not be obtained, suggesting highly impaired C-tactile function with functional loss of pleasant touch perception.
conclusionsIn conclusion, this is the first report of impaired C-tactile function in patients with PHN. Reduced pleasantness resulting from gentle touch can reflect defective C-fiber function or result from central nervous system effects in a chronic pain state.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.