Characterization of breast sensation for bionics and the science of erogenous touch

Characterization of breast sensation for bionics and the science of erogenous touch

Simple (total) mastectomy, the most common type of mastectomy for women with breast cancer, is a procedure that amputates the entirety of the breast tissue and leaves the breasts without sensation. This loss of sensation leads to major adverse effects, however, including disembodiment of the breasts (e.g., the feeling they are no longer part of one’s body) and chronic pain that cannot be reliably alleviated by standard interventions. As such, the researchers hope to develop a device – the Bionic Breast Device – that would restore touch sensation and reduce pain following mastectomy. A prototype and preliminary data are two central objectives of this project. Thus, drawing from the success of touch restoration and chronic pain alleviation in bionic hands, the researchers will investigate the sensory correlates of intercostal nerve stimulation. These experiments will be the inception of a larger research plan to characterize the neural basis of touch on the breast, and their results will all but guarantee the success of the Bionic Breast Device.

Supporting mechanism: UChicago-CNRS PhD Joint Programme

Active dates: July 1, 2023-June 30, 2025