Significance of pleasant touch and state-of-the-art neuroscience technologies in acupuncture research

Abstract

An article entitled “Molecular and neural basis of pleasant touch sensation” was published in the top journal Science last year. This research describes the neural circuit of pleasant touch from the skin to the spinal cord [1] . Acupuncture and other somatic stimulation therapies also induce comfortable and enjoyable experiences. In the former studies, the mechanisms of these experiences in the brain are discussed. The paper published in Science gave us a novel perspective on the neural circuit of pleasant touch sensation from the skin to the spinal cord. In the following four sections, we would like to give our thoughts about how the paper would affect acupuncture research.