LAUSR

Painful stimuli can disrupt the homeostasis of human body, which is associated with the changes in facial temperature. There is evidence that social touch as a special form of tactile sensation may modulate the transmission of nociception and pain perception. Here, we investigated the influence of social touch on pain-evoked changes in facial temperature and the association with pain perception. Thirty healthy participants were subjected to cold pain during which they held the hand of a romantic partner, a stranger, or an object. Facial temperature was evaluated using thermal infrared imaging. Subjective pain ratings were decreased in the romantic partner touch. Moreover, social touch by a romantic partner resulted in smaller pain-evoked increases in facial temperature, which were associated with greater pain reduction. Our data provide novel evidence that social touch can modulate pain-evoked changes in facial temperature, which may suggest an inhibitory influence on the processing of nociceptive inputs.