Abstract
Pruritus (itch) can be defined as an unpleasant cutaneous sensation that leads to the need to scratch. Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”. Hence, itch and pain are different sensations, with different clinical aspects, different origins and different pathways. However, they share common mechanisms and they can overlap and have interactions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Ständer S, Schmelz M. Chronic itch and pain – similarities and differences. Eur J Pain. 2006;10:473–8.
Selden ST. Tickle. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004;50:93–7.
Misery L. Are pruritus and scratching the cough of the skin? Dermatology. 2008;216:3–5.
Paus R, Schmelz M, Biro T, Steinhoff M. Frontiers in pruritus research: scartching the brain for more effective therapy. J Clin Invest. 2006;116:1174–85.
Schmelz M. Itch and pain differences and commonalities. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2015;227:285–301.
Schmelz M, Schmidt R, Bickel A, Handwerker HO, Torebjörk HE. Specific C-receptors for itch in human skin. J Neurosci. 1997;17:2003–8.
Schmelz M, Schmidt R, Weidner C, Hilliges M, Torebjork HE, Handwerker HO. Chemical response pattern of different classes of C-nociceptors to pruritogens and algogens. J Neurophysiol. 2003;89:2441–8.
Johanek LM, Meyer RA, Hartke T, Hobelmann JG, Maine DN, LaMotte RH, Ringkamp M. Psychopysical and physiological evidence for parallel afferent pathways mediating the sensation of itch. J Neurosci. 2007;27:7490–7.
Andrew D, Craig AD. Spiothalamaic lamina 1 neurons selectively sensitive to histamine: a central neural pathway for itch. Nat Neurosci. 2001;4:72–7.
Davidson S, Zhang X, Yoon CH, Khasabov SG, Simone DA, Giesler GJ. The itch-producing agents histamine activate separate populations of primate spinothalaamic tract neurons. J Neurosci. 2007;27:100007–10014.
Drzezga A, Darsow U, Treede RD, Siebner H, Frisch M, Munz F, Weike F, Ring J, Schwaiger M, Bartenstein P. Central activation by histamine-induced itch: analogies to pain processing: a correlational analysis of O15 H20 poistron emission tomography studies. Pain. 2001;92:295–305.
Liu T, Ji RR. New insights into the mechanisms of itch: are pain and itch controlled by distinct mechanisms? Pflugers Arch. 2013;465:1671–85.
Ikoma A, Steinhoff M, Stander S, Yosipovitch G, Schmelz M. The neurobiology of itch. Nat Rev. 2006;7:535–47.
Misery L, Brenaut E, Le Garrec R, Abasq C, Genestet S, Marcorelles P, Zagnoli F. Neuropathic pruritus. Nat Rev Neurol. 2014;10:408–16.
Bohm-Starke N, Hilliges M, Brodda-Jansen G, Rylander E, Toerbjörk E. Psychophysical evidence of nociceptor sensitization in vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Pain. 2001;94:177–83.
Zhang X, Huang J, mac Naughton PA. NGF rapidly increases membrane expression of TRPV1 heat-gated ion channels. EMBO J. 2005;24:4211–23.
Van Laarhoven AIM, Kraaimaat FW, Wilder-Smith OH, Van de Kerkhof PCM, Cats H, Van Riel PLCM, Evers AWM. Generalzed and symptom-specific sensitization of chronic itch and pain. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007;21:1187–92.
Braz J, Solorzano C, Wang X, Basbaum AI. Transmitting pain and itch messages: a contemporary view of the spinal cord circuits that generate gate control. Neuron. 2014;82:522–36.
Stefan H, Feuerstein TJ. Novel anticonvulsivant drugs. Pharmacol Ther. 2007;113:165–83.
Evers AW, Bartels DJ, van Laarhoven AI. Placebo and nocebo effects in itch and pain. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2014;225:205–14.
Dalgard F, Dawn AG, Yosipovitch G. Are itch and chronic pain associated in adults? Results of a large population survey in Norway. Dermatology. 2007;214:305–9.
Yosipovitch G, Fast K, Berhard JD. Noxious heat and scratching decrease histamine-induced itch and skin blood flow. J Invest Dermatol. 2005;125:1268–72.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Misery, L. (2016). Pruritus, Pain and Other Abnormal Skin Sensations. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33140-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33142-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)