Active Touch Intervention Using a Rough Texture Enhances Corticospinal Excitability.

We aimed to clarify the effects of an active touch intervention using different textures on corticospinal excitability. A total of 30 healthy individuals participated in the active touch intervention. Two tactile stimuli were used for intervention: smooth (silk) and rough (hessian) stimuli. Motor-evoked potentials were measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation to evaluate corticospinal excitability. The rough-textured stimulus increased corticospinal excitability 15 min after the intervention. In contrast, the active touch intervention that used a smooth texture did not alter corticospinal excitability. The occurrence of changes in corticospinal excitability after an active touch intervention may depend on the texture used for the intervention.