Takayuki Yamashita Fujita Health University School of Medicine

Tactile stimuli can induce pleasant emotions, just like we feel from touching a soft bed sheet. However, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. We have begun identifying specific floor textures that mice prefer and a brain region involved in their tactile preference behavior. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how specific tactile stimulation from the floor activates the brain region and how the activation of the brain region leads to the behavior. In this study, we aim to identify the neural circuitry that regulates touch preference for floor texture in mice by labeling, manipulating, and recording the activity of neurons activated by favorable touch stimuli. Additionally, we seek to understand the anatomical and physiological nature of touch-induced pleasant emotions by exploring the emotional effects of the touch-preference circuitry.