Mind My Itch

Patients with atopic dermatitis had a distinct and different pattern of brain activation during itch.

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) suffer from almost interminable itch. To identify which areas of the brain process itch sensations, researchers used a new technique, functional magnetic resonance scanning with arterial spin labeling, which may be more functionally sensitive than traditional positron emission tomography scans.

Investigators induced skin itch by histamine iontophoresis in eight patients with active atopic dermatitis and in seven healthy controls. Scans showed that brain activity during itch differed in the two groups. The anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and contralateral areas of the caudate nucleus and putamen were activated in patients with AD. The primary motor cortex, primary somatosenso…

Reviewing Author

Mark V. Dahl, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Ulthera, Inc.; AuBio LifeSciences, LLC; Paris Therapeutics

Equity Elorac, Inc.; Makucell, Inc.; Paris Therapeutics

Editorial boards UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societiesNational Rosacea Society (Chairman, Medical Board)