Touch improvement at the hand transfers to the face
Résumé
The hand–face border is one of the most prominent features of the primate somatosensory cortex. A reduction of somatosensory input, following amputation or anesthesia, induces perceptual changes across this border that are explained by plastic competitive mechanisms [1,2,3,4]. Whether cross-border plasticity can be induced by learning processes relying on increased somatosensory input has been unclear. Here we report that training-independent learning [5] improves tactile perception, not only at the stimulated index finger, but also at the unstimulated face. These findings demonstrate that learning-induced tactile improvement can cross the hand–face border, suggesting that facilitation-based plasticity may operate in the healthy human brain.
Origine | Publication financée par une institution |
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