The ticklish brain

Tickle is one of the most enigmatic human sensations. We do not know how a touch can transform into a tickle, and why our brains respond differently to tickling from others, and compared to when we try to tickle ourselves. We will integrate electroencephalography and state-of-the-art haptic devices to address: (a) How does the brain respond to ticklish stimuli? (b) Does brain activity preceding the ticklish stimulus predict whether we perceive it as ticklish? This research will shed light on the neuroscience of tickling, and holds clinical implications for disorders characterised by aberrant responses to tickling, such as schizophrenia.