Body, Movement, and Physical Activity: Opportunities for Child Evolution Through Affective and Therapeutic Touch

Titolo Rivista PNEI REVIEW
Autori/Curatori Gloria Curati
Pubblicazione Online First 16/10/2026 Fascicolo 2026/Online First
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 11 P. 1-11 Dimensione file 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/pnei2026oa23968
Il DOI è il codice a barre della proprietà intellettuale: per saperne di più clicca qui

Vedi l'articolo Scarica l'articolo open access

FrancoAngeli è membro della Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), associazione indipendente e non profit per facilitare (attraverso i servizi tecnologici implementati da CrossRef.org) l’accesso degli studiosi ai contenuti digitali nelle pubblicazioni professionali e scientifiche.

This paper explores the fundamental role of affective and therapeutic touch and movement in child neurobiological development through the paradigm of Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology (PNEI). Physical contact is not merely a mechanical act but constitutes a preverbal language and a primary biological modulator capable of activating C‐tactile fibers and stimulating the release of oxytocin. The latter acts as a core mediator in stress reduction, regulation of the HPA axis, modulation of the anti‐inflammatory immune response, and the structuring of predictive models of social cognition. By integrating the osteopathic, physiotherapeutic, and psychological approach, touch and its subsequent evolution into structured movement – an essential driver for BDNF production and brain plasticity – offer a multidisciplinary care model. This approach promotes interpersonal synchronization and caregiver empowerment, establishing itself as a highly effective preventive and evolutionary medicine strategy for long‐term health.

Parole chiave:PNEI, Therapeutic Touch, C‐Tactile Fibers, BDNF, Oxytocin, Pediatric Osteopathy

  1. Hillman C.H., Erickson K.I., & Kramer A.F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58–65.
  2. Accardi C., Cerritelli F., Bovo L., & Esteves J.E. (2023). The osteopath-parent-child triad in osteopathic care in the first 2 years of life: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1253355.
  3. Addabbo M., Guida E., Licht V., & Turati C. (2025). It’s Safe to Look: Maternal Touch Affects Infants’ Fear Bias. Developmental Science, 28(4), e70039.
  4. Ader R. (Ed.). (2007). Psychoneuroimmunology (4th ed.). San Diego, USA: Academic Press.
  5. Atzil S., Hendler T., & Feldman R. (2011). Specifying the Neurobiological Basis of Human Attachment: Brain, Hormones, and Behavior in Synchronous and Intrusive Mothers. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(13), 2603–2615.
  6. Ayres A.J. (2005). Sensory integration and the child: Understanding hidden sensory challenges. Los Angeles (US): Western Psychological Services.
  7. Bottaccioli F., & Bottaccioli A. (2017). Psiconeuroendocrinoimmunologia e scienza della cura integrata. Mila-no: Edra.
  8. Bowlby J. (1982). Attachment and loss (2nd ed., Issue ment). New York City, USA: Basic Books.
  9. Brauer J., Xiao Y., Poulain T., Friederici A.D., & Schirmer A. (2016). Frequency of Maternal Touch Pre-dicts Resting Activity and Connectivity of the Developing Social Brain. Cerebral Cortex, 28(2), 692–692.
  10. Carter C.S. (1998). Neuroendocrine Perspectives on Social Attachment and Love. Psychoneuroendocrinol-ogy, 23(8), 779–818. DOI: 10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00055-
  11. Clark A. (2013). Whatever next? Predictive brains, situated agents, and the future of cognitive science. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 36(3), 181–204. DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X1200047
  12. Cotman C., & Berchtold N.C. (2002). Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends in Neurosciences, 25(6), 295–301. DOI: 10.1016/S0166-2236(02)02143-
  13. Degenhardt B.F., Darmani N.A., Johnson J.C., Towns L.C., Rhodes D.C.J., Trinh C., McClanahan B., & DiMarzo V. (2007). Role of osteopathic manipulative treatment in altering pain biomarkers: a pilot study. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 107(9), 387–400.
  14. Diamond A. (2000). Close Interrelation of Motor Development and Cognitive Development and of the Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex. Child Development, 71(1), 44–56. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.0011
  15. Diamond A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64(1), 135–168.
  16. Dunbar R.I.M. (2010). The social role of touch in humans and primates: Behavioural function and neu-robiological mechanisms. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(2), 260–268.
  17. Dunst C.J., & Espe-Sherwindt M. (2016). Family-Centered Practices in Early Childhood Intervention. In: B. Reichow, B. A. Boyd, E. E. Barton, & S. L. Odom (Eds.), Handbook of Early Childhood Special Ed-ucation (pp. 37–55). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  18. Engel G.L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129–136.
  19. Erickson K.I., Voss M.W., Prakash R.S., Basak C., Szabo A., Chaddock L., Kim J.S., Heo S., Alves H., White S.M., Wojcicki T.R., Mailey E., Vieira V.J., Martin S.A., Pence B.D., Woods J.A., McAuley E., & Kramer A.F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 3017–3022.
  20. Feldman R. (2012). Parent–infant synchrony: a biobehavioral model of mutual influences in the formation of affiliative bonds. Monographs of the Society for Re-search in Child Development, 77(2), 42–51.
  21. Fonagy P., & Target M. (2002). Early Intervention and the Development of Self-Regulation. Psychoana-lytic Inquiry, 22(3), 307–335. DOI: 10.1080/0735169220934899
  22. Fotopoulou A., & Tsakiris M. (2017). Mentalizing homeostasis: The social origins of interoceptive infer-ence. Neuropsychoanalysis, 19(1), 3–28. DOI: 10.1080/15294145.2017.129403
  23. Franke H., Franke J.-D., & Fryer G. (2022). Effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment for pe-diatric conditions: A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 31, 113–133.
  24. Friston K. (2010). The free-energy principle: a unified brain theory? Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(2), 127–138.
  25. Frymann V.M. (1998). Collected papers of viola M. Frymann, DO: Legacy of osteopathy to children. Indianapo-lis, USA: American Academy of Osteopathy.
  26. Gallahue D.L., Ozmun J.C., & Goodway J.D. (2012). Understanding motor development: Infants, children, adolescents, adults (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  27. Gilbert J.A., Blaser M.J., Caporaso J.G., Jansson J.K., Lynch S.V., & Knight R. (2018). Current under-standing of the human microbiome. Nature Medicine, 24(4), 392–400.
  28. Gouin J.-P., Carter C.S., Pournajafi-Nazarloo H., Glaser R., Malarkey W.B., Loving T.J., Stowell J., & Kiecolt-Glaser J.K. (2010). Marital behavior, oxytocin, vasopressin, and wound healing. Psychoneu-roendocrinology, 35(7), 1082–1090.
  29. Heinrichs M., Von Dawans B., & Domes G. (2009). Oxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 30(4), 548–557.
  30. Minuchin S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  31. Montagu A. (1986). Touching: The human significance of the skin (3rd ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
  32. Olausson H., Lamarre Y., Backlund H., Morin C., Wallin B.G., Starck G., Ekholm S., Strigo I., Wors-ley K., Vallbo Å.B., & Bushnell M.C. (2002). Unmyelinated tactile afferents signal touch and project to insular cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 5(9), 900–904.
  33. Pezzulo G., Rigoli F., & Friston K. (2015). Active Inference, homeostatic regulation and adaptive behav-ioural control. Progress in Neurobiology, 134, 17–35.
  34. Porges S.W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
  35. Ratey J.J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York City, USA: Little, Brown and Company.
  36. Rizzolatti G., & Sinigaglia C. (2006). So quel che fai: Il cervello che agisce e i neuroni specchio. Milano: Raf-faello Cortina.
  37. Sapolsky R.M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers (3rd ed.). New York, USA: Henry Holt and Company.
  38. Shumway-Cook A., & Woollacott M.H. (2017). Motor control: Translating research into clinical practice
  39. (5th ed.). Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands: Wolters Kluwer.
  40. Tozzi P. (2015). A unifying neuro-fasciagenic model of somatic dysfunction – Underlying mechanisms and treatment – Part II. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 19(3), 526–543.
  41. Uvnäs Moberg K. (2003). The oxytocin factor: tapping the hormone of calm, love, and healing. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
  42. World Health Organization (2013). Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.
  43. Insel T.R. (2010). The Challenge of Translation in Social Neuroscience: A Review of Oxytocin, Vaso-pressin, and Affiliative Behavior. Neuron, 65(6), 768–779.
  44. Lanaro D., Ruffini N., Manzotti A., & Lista G. (2017). Osteopathic manipulative treatment showed reduction of length of stay and costs in preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medi-cine, 96(12), e6408. DOI: 10.1097/MD.000000000000640
  45. Langevin H.M., Churchill D.L., Fox J.R., Badger G.J., Garra B.S., & Krag M.H. (2001). Biomechanical response to acupuncture needling in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 91(6), 2471–2478.
  46. Löken L.S., Wessberg J., Morrison I., McGlone F., & Olausson H. (2009). Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans. Nature Neuroscience, 12(5), 547–548.
  47. Manzotti A., Cerritelli F., Lombardi E., Monzani E., Savioli L., Esteves J.E., Galli M., La Rocca S., Bia-si P., Chiera M., & Lista G. (2022). Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Regulates Autonomic Markers in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Healthcare, 10(5), 813.
  48. McGlone F., Cerritelli F., Walker S., & Esteves J. (2017). The role of gentle touch in perinatal osteo-pathic manual therapy. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 72, 1–9.
  49. McGlone F., Wessberg J., & Olausson H. (2014). Discriminative and Affective Touch: Sensing and Feel-ing. Neuron, 82(4), 737–755.
  50. Mercuri M. (2022). Staying in touch: Mothers’ and infants’ dyadic touching behaviours across time, context, and risk status [[Doctoral dissertation,]. Concordia University]. Concordia University Spectrum Re-search Repository.

Gloria Curati, Body, Movement, and Physical Activity: Opportunities for Child Evolution Through Affective and Therapeutic Touch in "PNEI REVIEW" Online First/2026, pp 1-11, DOI: 10.3280/pnei2026oa23968