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Pruritus pp 27–31Cite as

Modulation of Pruritus: Peripheral and Central Sensitisation

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Abstract

Sensitization of nociceptors has been identified as the crucial mechanism in chronic pain conditions. The sensitization processes can be mediated in peripheral tissues not only by inflammatory mediators but also by directly amplifying the processing of noxious information in the central nervous system. In pruritus, research was mainly focused on peripheral mediators of itch that would activate pruriceptive neurons and would represent the ideal target for therapeutic intervention. However, modulation of pain and itch processing by sensitization in the periphery and the central nervous system shared many unexpected similarities and therefore the broad knowledge of sensitization mechanisms in pain might be used also in itch research and possibly in antipruritic therapeutic approaches.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Karl Feuerstein Professorship, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

    Martin Schmelz

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  1. Martin Schmelz
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Correspondence to Martin Schmelz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Dermatologie, CHU Brest, Brest, 29200, France

    Laurent Misery

  2. Medizinische Einrichtungen, Klinik und Poliklinik für, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 56, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

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Schmelz, M. (2010). Modulation of Pruritus: Peripheral and Central Sensitisation. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_5

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