In rats, as in humans, there are certain areas of the body that reacts to the tickling.
The rat brain responds to tickling, scientists have found. About the study they said in an article published in the journal Science.
In rats, as in humans, there are certain areas of the body that reacts to the tickling. In response to her rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations smehopanorame. Analyzing the records of these vocalizations and brain of rats using implanted electrodes into it, the scientists identified the neurons associated with the reaction to the tickling and laughter – they were located in somatosensory cortex.
This area is responsible in particular for the sense of touch and sense of body in space. However, rats respond to tickling, only if he was in a good mood. When they were upset or scared, neurons responded much weaker.
Interestingly, the stimulation of the brain was recorded even when the rats just seen the approaching hand. Some of them were playing in the cage, making “leaps of joy” – the common mammals kind of behavior, showing delight.
The evolutionary line of rats and humans diverged about 100 million years ago, but the reaction to the tickling, apparently, not much has changed since that time. The results of the study suggest that tickling is a rather old form of the game of social interaction.
