Brain basis for why petting feels good

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2013/01/31/brain-basis-for-why-petting-feels-good/#.UQ0PY_1hiK0 / stroking stimulates a very specific set of neurons that have to do with hair sensory neurons are relatively non-discriminatory respond to touch temperature pretty much anything that comes into contact with the skin researchers rare type neuron MRGPRB4+ linked specifically to hair follicles lab tests patch mouse skin neurons didn’t respond single stimulus Nature genetically engineered glow when active stroked poked pinched the mice neurons responded to unpleasant stimuli like pokes but the MRGPRB4+ neurons only responded to stroking chemical that could elicit the same response neurons lit up, just as if the mouse was being stroked unique neurons were linked specifically to the hair follicles in the mice’s skin, and the nerve-endings were very spread out. Thus, gently stroking their hindquarters would stimulate the mice but poking would not. And it turns out that humans have similar, stroke-sensitive neurons in the hair-covered portions of our skin /