Touch has received increased attention over the last few decades, with growing recognition of its profound import to all facets of life. The Handbook of Touch is the first authoritative, state-of-the-art resource for scientists, scholars, and students interested in the neurobehavioral foundations of touch and its many applications. \\This text provides an in-depth overview of the conceptual and empirical scope of the field. Chapters are written by a cadre of internationally known experts on touch, representing an expansive breadth of knowledge from behavioral, health, and neuroscience disciplines.

Section I. The neurobiology of touch. 1. The anatomy and physiology of the skin / Desmond John Tobin -- 2. Sensory processes of touch / Aislyn M. Nelson and Ellen A. Lumpkin -- 3. The molecular and genetic basis of touch / Kate Poole, Stefan G. Lechner and Gary R. Lewin -- 4. Brain plasticity and touch / Hubert R. Dinse -- Section II. Perceiving the physical world via touch. 5. Biomechanical and neurophysiological basis of the processing of tactile stimuli / Steven S. Hsiao -- 6. Hierarchical neural pathways of haptic object processing / Sunah Kim and Thomas W. James -- 7. The organization and function of somatosensory cortex / Sliman J. Bensmaia and Jeffrey M. Yau -- 8. Cross-modal interactions in tactile perception / Charles Spence and Andrew J. Bremner -- Section III. Measurement of touch. 9. Measurement of tactile response and tactile perception / Catana Brown, Diane Filion and Sandra J. Weiss -- 10. Measurement of touch behavior / Sandra J. Weiss and Sandra K. Niemann -- Section IV. Communication via touch. 11. Communicating through touch : touching during parent-infant interactions / Dale M. Stack and Amelie D.L. Jean -- 12. The communicative functions of touch in adulthood / Matthew J. Hertenstein -- 13. Gender and status patterns in social touch / Judith A. Hall -- 14. Tactile traditions : cultural differences and similarities in haptic communication / Peter Andersen -- Section V. The relevance of touch for development and health. 15. Maternal touch and the developing infant / Ruth Feldman -- 16. Tactile dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders / Carissa J. Cascio -- 17. Touch in people who are visually impaired / Morton A. Heller and Anne McClure Walk -- 18. Massage therapy : a review of recent research / Tiffany Field -- 19. Haptic feedback : technology and medical applications / Allison M. Okamura.