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Visualization of the Cutaneous Axonal Endings of CLTMs

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Affective Touch and the Neurophysiology of CT Afferents

Abstract

Affective touch is hypothesized to be driven by unmyelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptors that are often abbreviated as CLTMs in animals and CTs in humans. Despite numerous neurophysiological studies, morphological identification of CLTMs has been reported in only a few animal studies, but with contrasting data.

In the first mouse study, CLTMs were identified with a rare subpopulation of unmyelinated sensory fibers denominated Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor B4 (MrgprB4) which encircled the neck of hair follicles. By contrast, a different mouse study supported the correspondence of CLTMs with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive fibers which were found to form longitudinal lanceolate endings associated with hair follicles. A morphological study of CT skin endings in humans is needed to explain species-related difference or to define if CLTMs described in animals represent only one class of human CTs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Via Altura 3, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, 40139, Italy

    Vincenzo Donadio Ph.D.

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  1. Vincenzo Donadio Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Vincenzo Donadio Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Göteborg, Sweden

    HÃ¥kan Olausson

  2. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

    Johan Wessberg

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    India Morrison

  4. Research Centre for Brain & Behaviour, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Francis McGlone

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Donadio, V. (2016). Visualization of the Cutaneous Axonal Endings of CLTMs. In: Olausson, H., Wessberg, J., Morrison, I., McGlone, F. (eds) Affective Touch and the Neurophysiology of CT Afferents. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6418-5_4

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