C-tactile afferent (CT afferent)

C-tactile afferents are a distinct class of unmyelinated, low-threshold mechanoreceptive sensory neurons found primarily in the hairy (non-glabrous) skin of mammals[1][2][3][6]. They uniquely respond to gentle, slow stroking touch (optimal at 1–10 cm/s), and their firing rates closely correlate with the perceived pleasantness of touch in humans, implicating them in the encoding of affective, emotionally salient touch important for social bonding and affiliative behaviors[1][3][4][7]. Unlike myelinated touch receptors (Aβ afferents), CT afferents have slow conduction velocities (below 2 m/s) and are not found in glabrous skin like the palms[1][6][7]. Human CT afferents have been studied using microneurography, and rodent equivalents (C-LTMRs) have helped identify possible molecular markers[3]. Emerging evidence suggests CT afferents may also contribute to pain modulation (e.g., allodynia) under pathological conditions, though their primary role is the transmission of non-painful, socially relevant tactile information[3][4]. Currently, they are not considered classical therapeutic targets such as receptors or enzymes, and no specific drugs modulate CT afferent function, but their roles in health and disease remain under investigation[2][3][6].

Other names

C-tactile fiberCT fiberC-low-threshold mechanoreceptor (C-LTMR, mainly in rodent literature)

Not applicable (not a canonical drug target or receptor; sensory neuron subtype)