Jessica Henderson, Andrej Stancak, Timo Giesbrecht, Alan Marshall, Andrew Hopkinson, Nicholas Fallon

Neural processing of texture has not yet been investigated using self-directed touch. Previous literature investigating touch and texture has found that individuals generally prefer smooth and soft compared to rough and hard textures, however, robotic presentation devices are typically used to deliver the stimulus. In our first study, we will investigate brain activity during self-directed exploration of three textures (smooth, soft, and rough), with participants providing subjective hedonic evaluations for each texture. Electroencephalographic (EEG) data will be collected using a 129-channel Geodesic EGI System and information about the nature of self-directed touch will be quantified using other sensors. EEG data will be evaluated using time-frequency analysis and the event-related desynchronization (ERD) method to consider changes in somatomotor processing associated with each texture condition. We hypothesise differences in the pattern of Alpha and Beta frequency bands during self-directed exploration of different textures. Pilot results will be discussed.