Social touch modulates pain-evoked increases in facial temperature

Abstract

Painful stimuli can disrupt the homeostasis of human body, which is associated with the changes in facial temperature. There is evidence that social touch as a special form of tactile sensation may modulate the transmission of nociception and pain perception. Here, we investigated the influence of social touch on pain-evoked changes in facial temperature and the association with pain perception. Thirty healthy participants were subjected to cold pain during which they held the hand of a romantic partner, a stranger, or an object. Facial temperature was evaluated using thermal infrared imaging. Subjective pain ratings were decreased in the romantic partner touch. Moreover, social touch by a romantic partner resulted in smaller pain-evoked increases in facial temperature, which were associated with greater pain reduction. Our data provide novel evidence that social touch can modulate pain-evoked changes in facial temperature, which may suggest an inhibitory influence on the processing of nociceptive inputs.