I'm so glad you're interested Rachel - thanks for the feedback! 😊

Clinical applications are discussed around sleep, anxiety, & autism, along with ASMR as an analogue for taVNS. As well as future tests of the model, including using EEG & MEG with specific predictions re ROIs and oscillatory dynamics - which are indeed tested in our upcoming EEG-MEG study! 🧠 5/5

Illustrative data is provided to further support the premise of CT-touch prediction, but overall this paper was my first foray into pure hypothesis & theory work; I enjoyed building a model encompassing a range of research areas like touch, predictive coding, neuroimaging, & CNS-ANS comms. 4/5

We suggest why this results in a somatosensory echo, felt as ASMR's signature 'tingle' sensation, localized to the CT-fibre rich skin of the scalp and neck, along with physiological and subjective markers of parasympathetic calm. 3/5

A biphasic, parasympathetic cascade is proposed, initiated by detection of proximal auditory cues within the PPS, and subsequent predictions of affiliative touch based on acoustic and contextual properties of trigger sounds, and individual priors - plus a spot of vestigial grooming... 2/5

In sum, the astrocyte ensemble provides a slow, multiday dimension to memory processing, complementing fast neuronal activity. They may ensure that only selected experiences become stable memories. 8/8
Read the full paper: nature.com/articles/s41... Tools: addgene.org/Jun_Nagai/