Ticklish spot identified in the rat brain!
Why are we ticklish? Why can't we control our laughter in response to tickling? These are the most inexplicable ticklish doubts discussed by great academicians including Aristotle and Charles Darwin. Despite of all the efforts, the mechanism remained mysterious.
The new research conducted at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin reported that rats enthusiastically emitted numerous calls in response to tickling. Belly and underneath feet are the most ticklish areas in rats. The responses rats emitted after tickling are the similar calls emitted during playing. Researchers observed that the nerve cells in the trunk region of the somatosensory cortex, a large brain structure that contains an ordered representation of the body and handles stimuli on the body, responded strongly to tickling. Similar brain responses were observed during play behaviors when rats were not even touched by the scientist. On making rats apprehensive, the activity in the nerve cells and the ticklishness were reduced. These results suggested that cells in the somatosensory cortex represents ticklish sensation.
In researcher's own words, 'Perhaps ticklishness is a trick of the brain that rewards interacting and playing'.
Why are we ticklish? Why can't we control our laughter in response to tickling? These are the most inexplicable ticklish doubts discussed by great academicians including Aristotle and Charles Darwin. Despite of all the efforts, the mechanism remained mysterious.
The new research conducted at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin reported that rats enthusiastically emitted numerous calls in response to tickling. Belly and underneath feet are the most ticklish areas in rats. The responses rats emitted after tickling are the similar calls emitted during playing. Researchers observed that the nerve cells in the trunk region of the somatosensory cortex, a large brain structure that contains an ordered representation of the body and handles stimuli on the body, responded strongly to tickling. Similar brain responses were observed during play behaviors when rats were not even touched by the scientist. On making rats apprehensive, the activity in the nerve cells and the ticklishness were reduced. These results suggested that cells in the somatosensory cortex represents ticklish sensation.
In researcher's own words, 'Perhaps ticklishness is a trick of the brain that rewards interacting and playing'.
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