How Does Touch Lead To Pain Or Pleasure?
Summary
Hosts Jenna Levin and Steve Strogatz interview neuroscientist Ishmael Abdusabour about the biology of pain and touch. They discuss molecular receptors like TRPV1, the ethics of animal research, and the distinction between nociception and conscious pain. Abdusabour also explains how gentle social touch activates reward pathways, offering potential therapies for stress and anxiety.
Topics discussed
Introduction to Ishmael Abdusabour and his childhood fascination with animals
From molecular biology to sensory neuroscience and the study of touch
Defining pain vs. nociception and the debate on animal consciousness
Distinguishing physical pain from psychological and emotional suffering
Specialized sensory neurons for pain, itch, and touch identified by gene expression
Ethical considerations in animal research and the necessity of current models
Translating rodent findings to human therapies and chronic pain relief
The brain's opioid system and how context modulates pain perception
The soothing power of gentle touch and optogenetics in neural research
Naked mole rats: pain insensitivity, longevity, and complex social structures
How social context and the orbitofrontal cortex determine if touch feels good
Bridging neuroscience and psychology to understand consciousness and interiority
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