Introduction
Non-Pharmacological Interventions (NPIs) are non-invasive, targeted and evidence-based interventions that aim to prevent, care for, or cure individual’s health problems, as defined by the Non-Pharmacological Interventions Society (NPIS)For this purpose, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful tool to observe experience-related cerebral changes as brain’s response to a stimulus. Indeed, resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) on healthy adult volunteers allows researchers to test hypotheses about particular functional networks and the impact of specific activities (for example mindfulness meditation) on intrinsic brain connectivityWe hypothesized that networks associated with attention and sensory processing would show specific changes related to FR and tactile stimulation. The aim of the present study was so to determine if two different forms of short tactile stimulation (FR and foot massage as a sham massage of FR) could change the functional connectivity of intrinsic connectivity networks, physiological parameters and well-being in healthy participants.