C-tactile Afferents

Unmyelinated, slow-conducting nerve fibres found in hairy skin that respond selectively to gentle, slow stroking touch at velocities of approximately 1-10 cm/s. C-tactile afferents are strongly associated with affective and social touch, activating neural pathways linked to comfort, bonding, and emotional regulation. Unlike the faster mechanoreceptors that process discriminative touch, CT afferents are specifically tuned to the kind of gentle skin contact found in caring social interactions such as stroking or caressing. In wearable haptic research, CT afferent activation is a key design target for interventions aimed at evoking pleasant, calming, or socially resonant tactile sensations, particularly on the forearm — a hairy skin area with high CT afferent density.