Laura Stevens
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Laura Stevens has a total of 2 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Dirk Scheele
Department of Social Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
1 shared publication - Madeleine Bregulla
Department of Social Neuroscience, Center of Medical Psychology and Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 2 February 2024
- Published by Center for Open Science in PsyArXiv
Out of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch – neural and endocrine pathways
Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences the world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little is known how trauma exposure influences the processing of social touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which trauma can influence touch processing and lead to touch aversion and avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that trauma may affect sensory touch thresholds by modulating activity in the primary sensory cortex and posterior insula. Disturbances in multisensory integration and oxytocin reactivity combined with diminished reward-related and anxiolytic responses may induce a bias towards negative appraisal of touch contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during social touch may reflect a dissociative state. These changes depend not only on the type and severity of the trauma but also on the features of the touch. We hypothesise that disrupted touch processing may impair social interactions and confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.
- 2 February 2024
- Published by Center for Open Science in PsyArXiv
Open AccessOut of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch – neural and endocrine pathways
Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences the world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little is known how trauma exposure influences the processing of social touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which trauma can influence touch processing and lead to touch aversion and avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that trauma may affect sensory touch thresholds by modulating activity in the primary sensory cortex and posterior insula. Disturbances in multisensory integration and oxytocin reactivity combined with diminished reward-related and anxiolytic responses may induce a bias towards negative appraisal of touch contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during social touch may reflect a dissociative state. These changes depend not only on the type and severity of the trauma but also on the features of the touch. We hypothesise that disrupted touch processing may impair social interactions and confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.