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Interpersonal tactile stroking stimulation activates different peripheral nerve fibers, especially C-tactile afferents, which encode pleasant and erotic sensations. Hence, humans typically stroke close interaction partners with velocities that are suited to stimulate C-tactile afferents in the touch receivers’ skin. We aim to replicate this finding and we furthermore hypothesized that humans adjust their stroking velocity depending on the relationship with the interaction partner. We tested 60 participants in total (29 men, 31 women, mean age 23.3 years ± 3.6 years SD). They were asked to stroke their partner, their friend, a female stranger, a male stranger, an artificial arm and a table. Stroking was recorded by a video camera and each participant rated the emotional closeness to and attractiveness of each human interaction partner. In addition, we determined the velocity that each participant preferred to be stroked with in a forced choice paradigm. The participants stroked other humans slower and more in the optimal range for C-tactile fiber activation than non-humans. The stroking velocity was related to ratings of sympathy. The participants did not adjust their stroking velocities towards the stimulation they preferred for themselves. In conclusion, our study reaffirms that interindividual stroking touch is targeted to activate C-tactile fibers in the touch receiver. Furthermore, humans adjust their stroking velocity according to sympathy and interindividual attraction.

New therapeutic strategies for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have evolved within the past ten years, and as a result, an update of the 2011 recommendations of the German management guidelines was initiated.A systemic literature review was performed, overarching principles were proposed and pre-selected via an online survey followed by two multidisciplinary consensus conferences. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments were discussed, statements were proposed and ultimately agreed upon by nominal group technique (NGT).12 overarching therapeutic principles, as well as 9 recommendations on pharmacological and 5 on non-pharmacological treatments for JIA were agreed upon.This report summarizes the recent update of the interdisciplinary, consensus-based German guidelines on the management of JIA. The multi- and interdisciplinary participation of all caregivers was central for this patient-focused update. With these guidelines, physicians can choose an evidence-based approach, which allows better tailored treatment in this vulnerable cohort of children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Removal of the olfactory bulb (OB) leads to depression like behavior in rodents. A link between depression and olfactory function is also established in humans. We hypothesized that the human OB volume relates to depressive state and tested whether such a potential coherence is moderated by structural alterations in other brain regions. METHODS: Eighty‐three participants (32 patients with major depression and 51 matched healthy controls) underwent structural MR scanning. Individual OB volumes were compared between patients and controls and the impact of depression and comorbidity was analyzed with multiple regression analysis. Whole‐brain voxel‐based morphometry revealed structures co‐varying with both depressive state and OB volume. RESULTS: The OB volume of patients was significantly reduced and this reduction averaged out at 17% compared to the controls. The OB volume was correlated to the volume of the insula, superior temporal cortex, and amygdala. The independent variables of depression (β = −.37), age (β = −.25), and gender (β = −.40) explained the individual OB volume variation (R (2) = .37). The correlation between OB volume and depression was moderated by volumetric reductions in a cluster including the insula and superior temporal gyrus (STG). CONCLUSIONS: The OB volume relates to depression in humans and to the volume of structures which are critical for salience detection. We assume that a reduced OB volume causes diminished neural olfactory input which facilitates volume reduction in the insula and STG. The OB volume may hence constitute a factor of vulnerability to depression. Olfactory‐based deep brain stimulation is discussed as a future therapeutic approach.

BACKGROUND Interpersonal touch is a key aspect of human interaction and a usually very comforting experience. For patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) caused by interpersonal traumatization, such touch is affectively ambiguous. METHODS In two studies, we investigated the experience and neural processing of various types of interpersonal and impersonal touch in patients as compared with healthy controls. RESULTS Patients strongly disliked show, interpersonal skin-to-skin stroking, while controls appreciated this kind of touch. No group differences were observed for ratings of impersonal touch. Similarly, the neural activation differed between groups for interpersonal, but not for impersonal touch. The interpersonal touch aversion in patients was accompanied by enhanced blood-oxygen-level-dependent response in the superior temporal gyrus and by a pronounced reduction of response in the hippocampus. This reduction was significantly correlated to symptoms of negative alterations and arousal within the patients. CONCLUSION We interpret the hippocampal suppression as an attempt to control traumatic memories, evoked by interpersonal touch. This mechanism may maintain the aversion of interpersonal touch in patients with interpersonal trauma-related PTSD.