Tactile Stimulation Early in Life and During Adulthood: A Natural Strategy to Prevent or Ameliorate Health Disturbances

The tactile sensory system is one of the earliest sensory systems to develop and allows the individual to perceive and respond to environmental stimuli, as well as to frame a mental representation of the body with respect to the external world. An equally important function of this sensory system is to detect and transmit affective touchTouch: the gentle, pleasant tactile stimulationTactile stimulation received from interacting with another individual. Stimulation with affective touchTouch early in life promotes development and mitigates negative effects of early life insults. Indeed, the first social contact that the newborn experiences is with the mother; this initial interaction has profound effects on neurodevelopment and on stress response systems, in addition to promoting a secure psychological attachment to the mother and ultimately with other individuals. When experienced during critical periods of early development, such sensory and social stimuli can alter processes of neurogenesis, neural migration, maturation, synaptogenesis, pruning and myelination. Basic research using laboratory rodent models has provided much insight into the neurobiological and physiological processes underlying such effects. The results of clinical studies—most of which have involved the application tactile stimulationTactile stimulation and affective touchTouch on preterm infants—have underscored the importance of touch to human development and health. In the present chapter, we provide an overview of findings from laboratory rodent models and clinical studies and discuss the importance of tactile stimulationTactile stimulation and affective touchTouch in health and disease. First, we review the neurobiological and physiological effects of early life and adult tactile stimulationTactile stimulation, which have been discovered through studies on several laboratory rodent models: those that involve natural variation in maternal care, experimental deprivation of maternal care and social contact, brain injury, as well as other models. Then, we review clinical observations and studies on the effects of prenatalPrenatal, neonatal, early life and adult tactile stimulation and affective touch (Kangaroo Mother Care, skin-to-skin contact, massage therapy)Massage therapy in the context of preterm birth, typical development, and disease. We hope that this chapter serves both to inspire young investigators to enter this important area of research, as well as to encourage health care personnel to develop and refine treatmentTreatment protocols that employ strategies of therapeutic tactile stimulationTactile stimulation.