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Mochizuki H, Yosipovitch G. Machine learning using brain activity can capture the state of mind when a person is preoccupied by the unpleasant sensory experience of itch. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2024; 38:e674-e676. [PMID: 38314920 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.19826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- H Mochizuki
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and Miami Itch Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - G Yosipovitch
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and Miami Itch Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
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2
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Shayan M, Haddadi NS, Shokrian Zeini M, Shokrian Zeini M, Tashak Golroudbari H, Afrooghe A, Ahmadi E, Rashki A, Dehpour AR. Social interactions and olfactory cues are required for contagious itch in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11334. [PMID: 38760368 PMCID: PMC11101621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61078-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of contagious itch, observed in both humans and rodents, remains a topic of ongoing debate concerning its modulators and underlying pathways. This study delves into the relationship between contagious itch and familiar olfactory cues, a non-visual factor contributing to this intriguing behavior. Our findings showed that contagious itch in observer mice occurs during physical interaction with the cagemate itch-demonstrator but not with a stranger demonstrator or in a non-physical encounter condition. Notably, itch-experienced observer mice displayed an increased contagious itch behavior, highlighting the relevance of itch-associated memory in this phenomenon. Furthermore, anosmic observer mice, whether itch-naïve or itch-experienced, displayed no contagious itch behavior. These results demonstrate that the familiar olfactory cues, specifically cagemate body odors, are required for contagious itch behaviors in mice. In line with these behavioral findings, our study reveals increased activity in brain regions associated with olfaction, emotion, and memory during contagious itch, including the olfactory bulb, the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus, with this activity diminished in anosmic mice. In conclusion, our study unveils the critical role of familiar olfactory cues in driving contagious itch in mice, shedding light on the interplay between social factors, sensory perception, and memory in this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Shayan
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nazgol-Sadat Haddadi
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Maryam Shokrian Zeini
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mohadese Shokrian Zeini
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hasti Tashak Golroudbari
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arya Afrooghe
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Ahmadi
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Asma Rashki
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad-Reza Dehpour
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran.
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3
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Yao J, Li X, Wu GY, Wu B, Long JH, Wang PJ, Liu SL, Gao J, Sui JF. The Anterior Insula and its Projection to the Prelimbic Cortex are Involved in the Regulation of 5-HT-Induced Itch. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1807-1822. [PMID: 37553505 PMCID: PMC10661608 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01093-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an unpleasant sensation that urges people and animals to scratch. Neuroimaging studies on itch have yielded extensive correlations with diverse cortical and subcortical regions, including the insular lobe. However, the role and functional specificity of the insular cortex (IC) and its subdivisions in itch mediation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and fiber photometry tests, that neurons in both the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and the posterior insular cortex (PIC) are activated during acute itch processes. Pharmacogenetic experiments revealed that nonselective inhibition of global AIC neurons, or selective inhibition of the activity of glutaminergic neurons in the AIC, reduced the scratching behaviors induced by intradermal injection of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), but not those induced by compound 48/80. However, both nonselective inhibition of global PIC neurons and selective inhibition of glutaminergic neurons in the PIC failed to affect the itching-scratching behaviors induced by either 5-HT or compound 48/80. In addition, pharmacogenetic inhibition of AIC glutaminergic neurons effectively blocked itch-associated conditioned place aversion behavior, and inhibition of AIC glutaminergic neurons projecting to the prelimbic cortex significantly suppressed 5-HT-evoked scratching. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the AIC is involved, at least partially via aversive emotion mediation, in the regulation of 5-HT-, but not compound 48/80-induced itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Yao
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Guang-Yan Wu
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Bing Wu
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jun-Hui Long
- Department of Dermatology, The 958th Army Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Pu-Jun Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The 958th Army Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Shu-Lei Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The 958th Army Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Jie Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Army Medical Centre of the PLA, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
| | - Jian-Feng Sui
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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4
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Bottemanne H, Berkovitch L, Gauld C, Balcerac A, Schmidt L, Mouchabac S, Fossati P. Storm on predictive brain: A neurocomputational account of ketamine antidepressant effect. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105410. [PMID: 37793581 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
For the past decade, ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonist, has been considered a promising treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Unlike the delayed effect of monoaminergic treatment, ketamine may produce fast-acting antidepressant effects hours after a single administration at subanesthetic dose. Along with these antidepressant effects, it may also induce transient dissociative (disturbing of the sense of self and reality) symptoms during acute administration which resolve within hours. To understand ketamine's rapid-acting antidepressant effect, several biological hypotheses have been explored, but despite these promising avenues, there is a lack of model to understand the timeframe of antidepressant and dissociative effects of ketamine. In this article, we propose a neurocomputational account of ketamine's antidepressant and dissociative effects based on the Predictive Processing (PP) theory, a framework for cognitive and sensory processing. PP theory suggests that the brain produces top-down predictions to process incoming sensory signals, and generates bottom-up prediction errors (PEs) which are then used to update predictions. This iterative dynamic neural process would relies on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDAr) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic receptors (AMPAr), two major component of the glutamatergic signaling. Furthermore, it has been suggested that MDD is characterized by over-rigid predictions which cannot be updated by the PEs, leading to miscalibration of hierarchical inference and self-reinforcing negative feedback loops. Based on former empirical studies using behavioral paradigms, neurophysiological recordings, and computational modeling, we suggest that ketamine impairs top-down predictions by blocking NMDA receptors, and enhances presynaptic glutamate release and PEs, producing transient dissociative symptoms and fast-acting antidepressant effect in hours following acute administration. Moreover, we present data showing that ketamine may enhance a delayed neural plasticity pathways through AMPAr potentiation, triggering a prolonged antidepressant effect up to seven days for unique administration. Taken together, the two sides of antidepressant effects with distinct timeframe could constitute the keystone of antidepressant properties of ketamine. These PP disturbances may also participate to a ketamine-induced time window of mental flexibility, which can be used to improve the psychotherapeutic process. Finally, these proposals could be used as a theoretical framework for future research into fast-acting antidepressants, and combination with existing antidepressant and psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bottemanne
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau (ICM), UMR 7225 / UMRS 1127, Sorbonne University / CNRS / INSERM, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, Department of Philosophy, Science Norm Democracy Research Unit, UMR, 8011, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, Department of Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.
| | - Lucie Berkovitch
- Saclay CEA Centre, Neurospin, Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France; Department of Psychiatry, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Gauld
- Department of Child Psychiatry, CHU de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France; Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229 CNRS & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
| | - Alexander Balcerac
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau (ICM), UMR 7225 / UMRS 1127, Sorbonne University / CNRS / INSERM, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, Department of Neurology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Liane Schmidt
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau (ICM), UMR 7225 / UMRS 1127, Sorbonne University / CNRS / INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Stephane Mouchabac
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau (ICM), UMR 7225 / UMRS 1127, Sorbonne University / CNRS / INSERM, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, Department of Psychiatry, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Philippe Fossati
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau (ICM), UMR 7225 / UMRS 1127, Sorbonne University / CNRS / INSERM, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, Department of Philosophy, Science Norm Democracy Research Unit, UMR, 8011, Paris, France
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5
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van de Burgt EWT, van der Mijn R, Fabbri S, Lorist MM. Environmental influences on induction of itching and scratching using immersive virtual reality. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16767. [PMID: 37798390 PMCID: PMC10556052 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42322-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic itching is a serious and uncomfortable condition. The scratch response might result in a vicious cycle of alternating itching and scratching. To develop psychological interventions for people suffering from chronic itching and to break the vicious itch-scratching-itch cycle, it is important to elucidate which environmental factors trigger itch sensations. Virtual reality (VR) techniques provide a useful tool to examine specific content characteristics in a three-dimensional (3D VR) environment and their influences on itch sensations and scratching behaviour. This article describes two experiments in which we focused on the effects of environmental information on itching and scratching behaviour. Additionally, in the second experiment, we examined the influence of having a chronic skin condition on sensitivity to itch induction. We found evidence for the importance of the content of audio-visual materials for the effectiveness in inducing feelings of itch in the observers. In both experiments, we observed significantly higher levels of perceived itch in the itch-inducing conditions than in the control condition. Moreover, the results showed that elevated levels of perceived itch were associated with an increase in scratching behaviours, which was especially salient in the contagious itch condition, in which perceived itch was accompanied by a significant increase in the number of scratches. Experiment 2 additionally showed increased perceived itch levels in participants who reported having a chronic skin condition, reflecting higher sensitivity to itch-inducing audio-visual stimuli in this group than in participants without a chronic skin condition. Based on the results we concluded that directing attention towards itch- or scratch aspects of related information in the environment and to the consequences for one's own skin are effective tools to induce itch sensations and scratching behaviour. This knowledge provides tools for developing novel strategies in advising and treating people suffering from chronic itching and breaking the vicious itch-scratching-itch cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmy W T van de Burgt
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Robbert van der Mijn
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Fabbri
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Monicque M Lorist
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Bragdon LB, Nota JA, Eng GK, Recchia N, Kravets P, Collins KA, Stern ER. Failures of Urge Suppression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Behavioral Modeling Using a Blink Suppression Task. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord 2023; 38:100824. [PMID: 37521712 PMCID: PMC10373599 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) report sensory-based urges (e.g. 'not-just-right experiences') in addition to, or instead of, concrete fear-based obsessions. These sensations may be comparable to normative "urges-for-action" (UFA), such as the urge to blink. While research has identified altered functioning of brain regions related to UFA in OCD, little is known about behavioral patterns of urge suppression in the disorder. Using an urge-to-blink task as a model for sensory-based urges, this study compared failures of urge suppression between OCD patients and controls by measuring eyeblinks during 60-second blocks of instructed blink suppression. Cox shared frailty models estimated the hazard of first blinks during each 60-second block and recurrent blinks following each initial erroneous blink. OCD patients demonstrated a higher hazard of first and recurrent blinks compared to controls, suggesting greater difficulty resisting repetitive sensory-based urges. Within OCD, relationships between task outcomes and symptom severity were inconsistent. Findings provide support for a deficit in delaying initial urge-induced actions and terminating subsequent actions in OCD, which is not clearly related to clinical heterogeneity. Elucidating the nature of behavioral resistance to urges is relevant for informing conceptualizations of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology and optimizing treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Bragdon
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
| | - Jacob A Nota
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Goi Khia Eng
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
| | - Nicolette Recchia
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
| | - Pearl Kravets
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
| | | | - Emily R Stern
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
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Valdivieso-Cortadella S, Bernardi-Gómez C, Aureli F, Llorente M, Amici F. Yawning and scratching contagion in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Sci Rep 2023; 13:8367. [PMID: 37225745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35693-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioural contagion is a widespread phenomenon in animal species, which is thought to promote coordination and group cohesion. Among non-human primates, however, there is no evidence of behavioural contagion in Platyrrhines (i.e. primates from South and Central America) yet. Here, we investigated whether behavioural contagion is also present in this taxon, by assessing yawning and scratching contagion in a wild group (N = 49) of Geoffroy's spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). We conducted focal samples to examine whether individuals observing the triggering event (i.e. a naturally occurring yawning or scratching event in the group) would be more likely to yawn or scratch in the following 3 min, as compared to individuals who did not observe the triggering event. We ran generalized linear mixed models using a Bayesian approach, and found that the probability of yawning and scratching was higher for individuals observing others yawning and scratching, respectively, as compared to individuals who did not observe such an event. Behavioural contagion did not vary depending on the observer's sex, kinship or relationship quality with the individual performing the triggering event. These findings provide the first evidence for yawning and scratching contagion in a wild group of spider monkeys, and importantly contribute to the debate about the evolutionary origins of behavioural contagion in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190, Xalapa-Enríquez, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L1 2SF, UK
| | - Miquel Llorente
- Universitat de Girona, Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, 17003, Girona, Spain
- Departament de Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, 17004, Girona, Spain
| | - Federica Amici
- Institute of Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition Group, University of Leipzig, 04109, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Becker JM, Van Ryckeghem DML, Van Damme S, Crombez G, Schoot Y, Wiers RWHJ, Rippe RCA, van Laarhoven AIM. Subliminal attentional bias modification training for itch. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1104641. [PMID: 37275368 PMCID: PMC10232774 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1104641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Itch is unpleasant and induces the urge to scratch. This is adaptive to remove the itch-inducing stimulus from the skin. Accordingly, itch draws attention to protect our bodily integrity. Recent studies investigated whether attention is preferentially drawn towards its location, i.e., attentional bias (AB), and also whether this bias could be changed in healthy individuals. So far, results are mixed concerning the existance of an attentional bias towards itch stimuli in healthy individuals as well as the impact of modifications. However, available studies have typically focused on conscious processing and might miss preconscious aspects of attention and potential biases at these stages. Methods This study included 117 healthy individuals who underwent a subliminal Attentional Bias Modification (ABM)- training for itch based on a dot-probe paradigm with itch- related pictures. Participants were randomly assigned to a training towards itch group, a training away from itch group and a control group. This was done by manipulating the itch-target congruency of the dot-probe task during a training block. Pre- and post-training assessments were regular dot-probe tasks. Exploratorily, also attentional inhibition, cognitive flexibility and itch-related cognitions were assessed. Lastly, participants received an itchy stimulus on the inner forearm before and after the ABM-training to assess potential effects on itch sensitivity. Results Results showed no AB towards itch across groups at baseline, i.e., pre-training, but an AB away from itch, hence, avoidance of itch, post-training. Further analyses showed that this effect was driven by an attentional bias away from itch in the control group, while there were no significant effects in the experimental groups. There was no effect on itch sensitivity. Conclusion These findings are in line with recent studies on conscious ABM-training for itch and pain that also did not find significant training effects. Therefore, it is suggested that the field of AB might need to reconsider the current assessment of AB. Moreover, AB is probably a dynamic process that is highly dependent on current itch-related goals and relevance of itch in a specific situation. This suggests that processes probably differ in patients with chronic itch and that also ABM-training might work differently in these populations. Clinical trial registration https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR7561, identifier NTR7561.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Becker
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Dimitri M. L. Van Ryckeghem
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Section Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Research Unit INSIDE, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Health and Behavior, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Stefaan Van Damme
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yalou Schoot
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Reinout W. H. J. Wiers
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ralph C. A. Rippe
- Research Methods and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Antoinette I. M. van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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Li JN, Wu XM, Zhao LJ, Sun HX, Hong J, Wu FL, Chen SH, Chen T, Li H, Dong YL, Li YQ. Central medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2539. [PMID: 37137899 PMCID: PMC10156671 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38264-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an annoying sensation consisting of both sensory and emotional components. It is known to involve the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), but the following transmission nodes remain elusive. The present study identified that the PBN-central medial thalamic nucleus (CM)-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pathway is essential for itch signal transmission at the supraspinal level in male mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of the CM-mPFC pathway attenuates scratching behavior or chronic itch-related affective responses. CM input to mPFC pyramidal neurons is enhanced in acute and chronic itch models. Specifically chronic itch stimuli also alter mPFC interneuron involvement, resulting in enhanced feedforward inhibition and a distorted excitatory/inhibitory balance in mPFC pyramidal neurons. The present work underscores CM as a transmit node of the itch signal in the thalamus, which is dynamically engaged in both the sensory and affective dimensions of itch with different stimulus salience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Ni Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xue-Mei Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Liu-Jie Zhao
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Han-Xue Sun
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Jie Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014040, China
| | - Feng-Ling Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Si-Hai Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yu-Lin Dong
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
- Department of Human Anatomy, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
- Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014040, China.
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10
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Meeuwis SH, Skvortsova A, van Laarhoven AIM, Holle H, Evers AWM. Can contagious itch be affected by positive and negative suggestions? Exp Dermatol 2022; 31:1853-1862. [PMID: 36048562 PMCID: PMC10087404 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Contagious itch can be evoked by observing people scratching. Verbal suggestions about to-be-received itch can influence itch intensity, as shown by placebo research, but it is unknown whether this extends to contagious itch. The current study aimed to replicate prior findings that listening to scratching and rubbing sounds elicits contagious itch, and to investigate whether suggestions can modulate this process. Healthy participants (n = 140) received positive or negative suggestions about itch in response to the sounds (aimed to decrease or increase expected itch, respectively), or no specific suggestions as a control. Participants listened to a number of audio fragments with scratching and rubbing sounds. The amount of expected itch as well as itch sensation after each audio fragment were measured by self-report. Suggestions had no effect on the expected itch. Both rubbing and scratching sounds significantly elicited itch in all groups. Scratching sounds induced more itch than rubbing sounds exclusively in the control group. These findings indicate that short suggestions might be not effective enough to modify the expectations of people regarding contagious itch. Furthermore, suggestions modulate contagious itch to some degree, but not in the hypothesized direction. Potential similarities and differences in the neurobiological mechanisms of contagious itch and nocebo effects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie H Meeuwis
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands.,Pain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Aleksandrina Skvortsova
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Antoinette I M van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Holle
- Department of Psychology, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Medical Delta Healthy Society, Leiden University, Technical University Delft & Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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11
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Sutter M, Kamber M, Navarini A, Mueller SM. Contagious Itch, Disgust and Empathy in a Family with Scabies and their Treating Medical Staff: An Exploratory Study. Acta Derm Venereol 2022; 102:adv00816. [PMID: 36281810 PMCID: PMC9811301 DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v102.774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract is missing (Short communication)
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Sutter
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marise Kamber
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Navarini
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Mueller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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12
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Lopes PC. Anticipating infection: how parasitism risk changes animal physiology. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C. Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology Chapman University Orange CA USA
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13
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Abstract
In their "social contextual view" of emotional mimicry, authors Hess and Fischer (2022) put forward emotional mimicry as a social regulator, considering it a social act, bound to certain affiliative contexts or goals. In this commentary, we argue that the core function of mimicry is to ease predicting conspecifics' behaviours and the environment, and that as a consequence, this often smoothens social interactions. Accordingly, we make three main points. First, we argue that there is no good reason to believe that the mimicry of negative expressions is fundamentally different than the mimicry of positive or ambiguous or autonomic expressions. Second, we give examples of empirical evidence that mimicry is not always a social act. Third, we show that mimicry has primary benefits for the mimicker. As such, we will briefly summarise and elaborate on the relevant findings in these respects, and propose a comparative, multi-method and ecologically valid approach which can explain the multifaceted character of the phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Kret
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - R Akyüz
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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14
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Gallup AC, Schild AB, Ühlein MA, Bugnyar T, Massen JJM. No Evidence for Contagious Yawning in Juvenile Ravens ( Corvus corax): An Observational Study. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:1357. [PMID: 35681822 PMCID: PMC9179381 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The overt and reflexive matching of behaviors among conspecifics has been observed in a growing number of social vertebrates, including avian species. In general, behavioral contagion-such as the spread of yawning-may serve important functions in group synchronization and vigilance behavior. Here, we performed an exploratory study to investigate yawn contagion among 10 captive juvenile ravens (Corvus corax), across two groups. Using observational methods, we also examined the contagiousness of three other distinct behaviors: stretching, scratching, and shaking. A total of 44 20 min observations were made across both groups, including 28 in the morning and 16 in the afternoon. The time and occurrence of all the behaviors from each bird were coded, and the temporal pattern of each behavior across both groups was then analyzed to assess the degree of social contagion. Overall, we found no evidence for contagious yawning, stretching, scratching, or shaking. However, yawns were relatively infrequent per observation (0.052 ± 0.076 yawns/bird) and thus experimental methods should be used to support this finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Gallup
- Psychology and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences Programs, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY 13502, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
| | - Anja B. Schild
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.S.); (M.A.Ü.); (T.B.)
| | - Markus A. Ühlein
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.S.); (M.A.Ü.); (T.B.)
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.S.); (M.A.Ü.); (T.B.)
| | - Jorg J. M. Massen
- Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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15
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Fortugno AP, Bakke JR, Babajani-Feremi A, Newman J, Patel TS. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Applications in Dermatology. JID INNOVATIONS 2022; 1:100015. [PMID: 35024683 PMCID: PMC8669514 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
As a noninvasive imaging modality able to show the dynamic changes in neurologic activity, functional magnetic resonance imaging has revolutionized the ability to both map and further understand the functional regions of the brain. Current applications range from neurosurgical planning to an enormous variety of investigational applications across many diverse specialties. The main purpose of this article is to provide a foundational understanding of how functional magnetic resonance imaging is being used in research by outlining the underlying basic science, specific methods, and direct investigational and clinical applications. In addition, the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging in current dermatological research, especially in relation to studies concerning the skin‒brain axis, is explicitly addressed. This article also touches on the advantages and limitations concerning functional magnetic resonance imaging in comparison with other similar techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Fortugno
- Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joshua R Bakke
- Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Abbas Babajani-Feremi
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Magnetoencephalography Laboratory, Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Justin Newman
- Memphis Radiological Professional Corporation, Germantown, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tejesh S Patel
- Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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16
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Behavioral mimicry of eating in mice. Neurosci Lett 2021; 770:136426. [PMID: 34971769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Nonconscious behavioral mimicry is prevalent in humans and highly social animals who imitate the behaviors of others without awareness. Previous studies indicated people tended to match their amount of eating to that of their eating companions due to behavioral mimicry, however whether such phenomena were existed in rodents is still unknown. Developing a behavioral paradigm would be helpful to better understand the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral mimicry. In this study, we examined behavioral mimicry of eating in C57BL/6J mice which had strong sociality and were widely used as animal model in researches. We set up an eating monitoring platform, and this platform could record the data of mice eating behavior in real time. We further examined the behavioral mimicry of eating in mice, and found that the mice observing eating behavior of food-restricted mice would consume more food than control mice, and visual cue with eating behavior was sufficient to increased food consumption in mice. Our study indicated behavioral mimicry of eating was existed in mice and provided a mouse model for future studies on the mechanism of behavioral mimicry of eating.
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17
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Chen XJ, Liu YH, Xu NL, Sun YG. Itch perception is reflected by neuronal ignition in the primary somatosensory cortex. Natl Sci Rev 2021; 9:nwab218. [PMID: 35769233 PMCID: PMC9232292 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwab218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple cortical areas including the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) are activated during itch signal processing, yet cortical representation of itch perception remains unknown. Using novel miniature two-photon microscopic imaging in free-moving mice, we investigated the coding of itch perception in S1. We found that pharmacological inactivation of S1 abolished itch-induced scratching behavior, and the itch-induced scratching behavior could be well predicted by the activity of a fraction of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, suggesting that a subpopulation of S1 pyramidal neurons encoded itch perception, as indicated by immediate subsequent scratching behaviors. With a newly established optogenetics-based paradigm that allows precisely controlled pruritic stimulation, we found that a small fraction of S1 neurons exhibited an ignition-like pattern at the detection threshold of itch perception. Our study revealed the neural mechanism underlying itch perceptual coding in S1, thus paving the way for the study of cortical representation of itch perception at the single-neuron level in freely moving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-He Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ning-Long Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
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18
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Krefting F, Hölsken S, Schedlowski M, Sondermann W. [The effect of treatment expectations on pruritus and skin pain]. Schmerz 2021; 36:189-195. [PMID: 34705119 PMCID: PMC9156458 DOI: 10.1007/s00482-021-00600-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hintergrund Patientenerwartungen in Bezug auf den Nutzen einer medizinischen Behandlung stellen eine wichtige Determinante für die Placeboantwort dar. Sie können Entwicklung und Verlauf von Erkrankungen sowie Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit von Therapien maßgeblich beeinflussen. Die Mechanismen, die diese Placebo- und Noceboeffekte vermitteln, wurden bislang am besten auf dem Gebiet der Placeboanalgesie beschrieben. Aber auch in der Dermatologie findet sich eine zunehmende Evidenz dafür, dass verschiedene Symptome wie Schmerzen an der Haut und Pruritus (Jucken) sowie verschiedene dermatologische Erkrankungen durch die Behandlungserwartungen von Patienten moduliert werden können. Ziel der Arbeit Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Darstellung der aktuellen Datenlage in Bezug auf den Einfluss von Erwartungseffekten auf dermatologische Symptome wie Pruritus und Hautschmerzen sowie auf verschiedene dermatologische Erkrankungen. Schließlich soll die Bedeutung dieses Themas für Ärzte, die Patienten mit Hautsymptomen behandeln, vermittelt werden. Material und Methoden Es handelt sich um eine narrative Übersichtsarbeit. Ergebnisse und Diskussion Eine zunehmende Anzahl von Studien an gesunden Probanden und dermatologischen Patienten zeigt, dass Hautsymptome wie Pruritus und Schmerzen durch die Induktion positiver Erwartungen verringert und durch die Induktion negativer Erwartungen verstärkt werden können. Vorherige Behandlungserfahrungen der Patienten sowie die Qualität und Quantität der Arzt-Patienten-Kommunikation spielen für die Induktion der Behandlungserwartung eine zentrale Rolle. Schlussfolgerung Techniken, die darauf abzielen, positive Erwartungseffekte von Patienten mit Hautsymptomen zu maximieren und negative zu minimieren, sollten in die klinische Routine implementiert werden.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Krefting
- Klinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Deutschland
| | - S Hölsken
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Verhaltensimmunbiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Deutschland
| | - M Schedlowski
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Verhaltensimmunbiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Deutschland.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Stockholm, Schweden
| | - W Sondermann
- Klinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Deutschland.
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19
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Abstract
Itch is one of the most primal sensations, being both ubiquitous and important for the well-being of animals. For more than a century, a desire to understand how itch is encoded by the nervous system has prompted the advancement of many theories. Within the past 15 years, our understanding of the molecular and neural mechanisms of itch has undergone a major transformation, and this remarkable progress continues today without any sign of abating. Here I describe accumulating evidence that indicates that itch is distinguished from pain through the actions of itch-specific neuropeptides that relay itch information to the spinal cord. According to this model, classical neurotransmitters transmit, inhibit and modulate itch information in a context-, space- and time-dependent manner but do not encode itch specificity. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is proposed to be a key itch-specific neuropeptide, with spinal neurons expressing GRP receptor (GRPR) functioning as a key part of a convergent circuit for the conveyance of peripheral itch information to the brain.
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20
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Mu D, Sun YG. Circuit Mechanisms of Itch in the Brain. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 142:23-30. [PMID: 34662562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Itch is an unpleasant somatic sensation with the desire to scratch, and it consists of sensory, affective, and motivational components. Acute itch serves as a critical protective mechanism because an itch-evoked scratching response will help to remove harmful substances invading the skin. Recently, exciting progress has been made in deciphering the mechanisms of itch at both the peripheral nervous system and the CNS levels. Key neuronal subtypes and circuits have been revealed for ascending transmission and the descending modulation of itch. In this review, we mainly summarize the current understanding of the central circuit mechanisms of itch in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Mu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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21
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Bragdon LB, Eng GK, Belanger A, Collins KA, Stern ER. Interoception and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:686482. [PMID: 34512412 PMCID: PMC8424053 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.686482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupted interoceptive processes are present in a range of psychiatric conditions, and there is a small but growing body of research on the role of interoception in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this review, we outline dimensions of interoception and review current literature on the processing of internal bodily sensations within OCD. Investigations in OCD utilizing objective measures of interoception are limited and results mixed, however, the subjective experience of internal bodily sensations appears to be atypical and relate to specific patterns of symptom dimensions. Further, neuroimaging investigations suggest that interoception is related to core features of OCD, particularly sensory phenomena and disgust. Interoception is discussed in the context of treatment by presenting an overview of existing interventions and suggesting how modifications aimed at better targeting interoceptive processes could serve to optimize outcomes. Interoception represents a promising direction for multi-method research in OCD, which we expect, will prove useful for improving current interventions and identifying new treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B. Bragdon
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Goi Khia Eng
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Amanda Belanger
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Katherine A. Collins
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emily R. Stern
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
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22
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van Laarhoven AIM, Becker JM, van Ryckeghem DML, Van Damme S, Crombez G, Wiers RWHJ. Attentional Bias Modification Training for Itch: A Proof-of-Principle Study in Healthy Individuals. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:627593. [PMID: 34277649 PMCID: PMC8278002 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.627593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Itch draws our attention to allow imposing action against bodily harm (e.g., remove insects). At the same time, itch is found to interfere with ongoing tasks and daily life goals. Despite the key role of attention in itch processing, interventions that train individuals to automatically disengage attention from itch cues are lacking. The present proof-of-principle attention bias modification (ABM) training study was aimed at investigating whether attention to itch as well as sensitivity to mild itch can be changed. Healthy volunteers were randomized over three ABM-training conditions. Training was done via a modified pictorial dot-probe task. In particular, participants were trained to look away from itch stimuli (n = 38), toward itch stimuli (n = 40) or not trained toward or away from itch at all (sham training, n = 38). The effects of the ABM-training were tested primarily on attention to itch pictures. Secondarily, it was investigated whether training effects generalized to alterations in attention to itch words and mechanical itch sensitivity. The ABM-training did not alter attention toward the itch pictures, and there was no moderation by baseline levels of attention bias for itch. Also, attention bias to the itch words and itch sensitivity were not affected by the ABM-training. This study was a first step toward trainings to change attention toward itch. Further research is warranted to optimize ABM-training methodology, for example increasing motivation of participants. Eventually, an optimized training could be used in patient populations who suffer most from distraction by their symptoms of itch. Clinical Trial Registration: Identifier: NL6134 (NTR6273). The website URL is: https://www.trialregister.nl/
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette I M van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jennifer M Becker
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Dimitri M L van Ryckeghem
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Research Unit Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development (INSIDE), Institute of Health and Behaviour, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Section Experimental Health Psychology, Clinical Psychological Science Departments, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Stefaan Van Damme
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Reinout W H J Wiers
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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23
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Baschong A, Spiess F, Cattin PC, Navarini A, Mueller SM. Itch reduction using immersive virtual reality-An experimental pilot study. Dermatol Ther 2021; 34:e15001. [PMID: 34036696 DOI: 10.1111/dth.15001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In a previous proof-of-concept study we have demonstrated that visual exposure to specific colors results in pruritic or antipruritic effects. To determine the effect of "antipruritic" colors when using immersive virtual reality (VR) and to assess whether psychometric values correlate with the response to the color exposure. In this cross-sectional interventional single-center study, itch patients were exposed to their subjective "antipruritic color" (defined by the Manchester Color Wheel) in a virtual monochromatic room for 10 min using a head-mounted display. Itch intensity rating (0-10 numerical rating scale [NRS]) was repeated at 1-min intervals. Additionally, dermatology life quality index, itch-related quality of life and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires were completed. Twenty-two patients (mean age 51.9 ± 23 years, 13 females) participated in the study. Following color exposure for 10 min itch intensity was significantly reduced compared to baseline (exact Wilcoxon signed-rank test, mdn-NRS 4.5 vs 3.0; z = -3.025, p = 0.001), confirmed by the area under the curve (z = -3.118; p = 0.001). No significant correlation between itch reduction and questionnaire scores was found (Spearman's Rho for all questionnaires). Visual exposure to the "antipruritic color" using immersive VR resulted in a significant decrease in itch intensity. This aligns with previous findings on the influence of colors on itch perception. The response of the intervention appeared independent of psychometric values. Thus, color exposure using immersive VR is a promising, low-cost, rapidly-acting, easily-applicable, non-pharmacological experimental antipruritic method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Baschong
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Spiess
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe C Cattin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Navarini
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Mueller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Lee IS, Kim K, Park HJ, Lee H, Jung WM, Kim DW, Chae Y. Neural Oscillation Associated with Contagious Itch in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040438. [PMID: 33805350 PMCID: PMC8067125 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Itch is an unpleasant sensation associated with an urge to scratch and is a major health care issue associated with atopic dermatitis (AD). Contagious itch, i.e., subjective feelings of itchiness induced by watching others’ scratching behavior, is common in patients with AD. Using electroencephalography, we examined alpha (8–13 Hz) oscillations in sensorimotor areas associated with the desire to scratch in patients with AD. Methods: Thirty-six patients with AD and 34 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study. They evaluated their itch levels after watching short videos of a model scratching or tapping parts of his body. Neural oscillations were recorded from nine electrodes, including those placed over sensorimotor areas. Time–frequency analysis was used to compare mu rhythm suppression over the sensorimotor areas in response to these videos between patients with AD and HCs. Results: The behavioral test showed that the visual stimuli induced increased feelings of itchiness in patients with AD relative to HCs under the tapping and scratching conditions. The time–frequency analysis revealed that mu rhythm suppression in response to scratching images was significantly prominent in patients with AD, but not in HCs. Conclusion: Patients with AD exhibited increased susceptibility to contagious itch. This phenomenon might be related to enhanced mu rhythm suppression in sensorimotor areas of the brain in these patients. Our findings provide new insight into the neurophysiological basis of itch sensations in patients with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Seon Lee
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-S.L.); (H.-J.P.); (H.L.); (W.-M.J.)
| | - Kyuseok Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Hi-Joon Park
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-S.L.); (H.-J.P.); (H.L.); (W.-M.J.)
| | - Hyangsook Lee
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-S.L.); (H.-J.P.); (H.L.); (W.-M.J.)
| | - Won-Mo Jung
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-S.L.); (H.-J.P.); (H.L.); (W.-M.J.)
| | - Do-Won Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Korea
- Correspondence: (D.-W.K.); (Y.C.)
| | - Younbyoung Chae
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-S.L.); (H.-J.P.); (H.L.); (W.-M.J.)
- Correspondence: (D.-W.K.); (Y.C.)
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25
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Najafi P, Misery L, Carré JL, Ben Salem D, Dufor O. Itch Matrixes. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:636904. [PMID: 33718409 PMCID: PMC7943862 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.636904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peyman Najafi
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France.,Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Laurent Misery
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France.,University Hospital of Brest, Department of Dermatology, Brest, France
| | | | - Douraied Ben Salem
- Univ Brest, LATIM, INSERM UMR, Brest, France.,University Hospital of Brest, Department of Radiology, Brest, France
| | - Olivier Dufor
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France.,L@bISEN Yncréa Ouest, ISEN, Brest, France
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Sondermann W, Reinboldt-Jockenhöfer F, Dissemond J, Pfaar O, Bingel U, Schedlowski M. Effects of Patients' Expectation in Dermatology: Evidence from Experimental and Clinical Placebo Studies and Implications for Dermatologic Practice and Research. Dermatology 2021; 237:857-871. [PMID: 33498052 DOI: 10.1159/000513445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients' expectations towards the benefit of a treatment are key determinants of placebo responses and can affect the development and course of medical conditions and the efficacy and tolerability of active medical treatment. The mechanisms mediating these placebo and nocebo effects have been best described in the field of experimental pain and placebo analgesia. However, also in dermatology experimental and clinical studies demonstrate that various skin diseases such as inflammatory dermatoses and allergic reactions can be modulated by patients' expectations. Dermatologists should consider the important modulatory role of patients' expectations on the efficacy and tolerability of specific treatments and the key role of verbal information, patients' prior treatment experiences (associative learning), and the quality and quantity of doctor-patient communication in shaping treatment expectation. As a consequence, techniques aiming at maximizing patients' expectation effects should be implemented into daily clinical routine. By contrast, in clinical studies expectation effects should be maximally controlled and harmonized to improve the "assay sensitivity" to detect new compounds. Further translational studies, also in dermatoses that have not been investigated yet, are needed to better characterize the mechanisms underlying patients' expectation and to gain further insights into potential clinical implications of these effects in dermatologic conditions. Therefore, in this review, we provide a brief overview on the concept of expectation effects on treatment outcome in general, summarize what is already known about this topic for dermatologic diseases, and finally present the relevance of this topic in clinical dermatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Sondermann
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany,
| | - Finja Reinboldt-Jockenhöfer
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Joachim Dissemond
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Oliver Pfaar
- Section of Rhinology and Allergy, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bingel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Manfred Schedlowski
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Kamber MS, Sutter M, Navarini A, Mueller SM. Contagious itch and disgust during a lecture on ectoparasitic infestations: Two co‐activated complementary parasite defense systems? Dermatol Ther 2020; 33:e14456. [DOI: 10.1111/dth.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marise S. Kamber
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Mia Sutter
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
| | | | - Simon M. Mueller
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
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Neville FG, Drury J, Reicher SD, Choudhury S, Stott C, Ball R, Richardson DC. Self-categorization as a basis of behavioural mimicry: Experiments in The Hive. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241227. [PMID: 33125438 PMCID: PMC7598449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Do we always do what others do, and, if not, when and under what conditions do we do so? In this paper we test the hypothesis that mimicry is moderated by the mere knowledge of whether the source is a member of the same social category as ourselves. METHODS We investigated group influence on mimicry using three tasks on a software platform which interfaces with mobile computing devices to allow the controlled study of collective behaviour in an everyday environment. RESULTS Overall, participants (N = 965) were influenced by the movements of confederates (represented as dots on a screen) who belonged to their own category in both purposive and incidental tasks. CONCLUSION Our results are compatible with collective level explanations of social influence premised on shared social identification. This includes both a heuristic of unintended mimicry (the acts of group members are diagnostic of how one should act), and communication of affiliation (based on a desire to make one's group cohesive). The results are incompatible with traditional 'contagion' accounts which suggest mimicry is automatic and inevitable. The results have practical implications for designing behavioural interventions which can harness the power of copying behaviour, for example in emergency evacuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fergus G. Neville
- School of Management, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - John Drury
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D. Reicher
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | | | - Clifford Stott
- School of Psychology, Keele University, Keele, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Ball
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel C. Richardson
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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29
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Mast Cell Mediators as Pain Triggers in Migraine: Comparison of Histamine and Serotonin in the Activation of Primary Afferents in the Meninges in Rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11055-020-00983-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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30
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Meeuwis SH, van Middendorp H, Pacheco-Lopez G, Ninaber MK, Lavrijsen APM, van der Wee N, Veldhuijzen DS, Evers AWM. Antipruritic Placebo Effects by Conditioning H1-antihistamine. Psychosom Med 2020; 81:841-850. [PMID: 31490841 PMCID: PMC6844655 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Allergic rhinitis symptoms can be reduced by behaviorally conditioning antihistamine. It is unclear whether these findings extend to histamine-induced itch or work when participants are informed about the conditioning procedure (open-label conditioning). The current study aims to investigate the efficacy of (open-label) antipruritic behavioral conditioning for histamine-induced itch. METHODS Healthy participants (n = 92; 84% female) were randomized to I) an open-label conditioned, II) closed-label conditioned, III) conditioned-not-evoked control, or IV) nonconditioned control group. A two-phase conditioning paradigm was used. During acquisition, a conditioned stimulus (CS; distinctively tasting beverage) was repeatedly paired with the H1-antihistamine levocetirizine (groups I-III). During evocation, the CS was paired with placebo (I, II), or instead of the CS, water was paired with placebo (III). The nonconditioned control group (IV) received CS with placebo in both phases. Itch after histamine iontophoresis and physiological data (i.e., spirometry, heart rate, skin conductance) were assessed. Combined conditioned and combined control groups were first compared, and analyses were repeated for separate groups. RESULTS Marginally lower itch was reported in the combined conditioned compared with the control groups (F(1,88) = 2.10, p = .076, ηpartial = 0.02); no differences between separate groups were found. No effects on physiological data were found, except for heart rate, which reduced significantly and consistently for control groups, and less consistently for conditioned groups (group by time interaction: F(7,80) = 2.35, p = .031, ηpartial = 0.17). CONCLUSION Limited support was found for the efficacy of antipruritic behavioral conditioning, regardless of whether participants were informed about the conditioning procedure. The application of open-label conditioning in patient populations should be further researched. TRIAL REGISTRATION www.trialregister.nl; ID NTR5544.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie H Meeuwis
- From the Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, (Meeuwis, van Middendorp, Pacheco-Lopez, Veldhuijzen, Evers), Leiden University; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (Meeuwis, van Middendorp, Veldhuijzen, Evers), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Health Sciences Department, Campus Lerma (Pacheco-Lopez), Metropolitan Autonomous University, Lerma, Edo Mex, Mexico; and Departments of Pulmonology (Ninaber), Dermatology (Lavrijsen), and of Psychiatry (van der Wee, Evers), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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31
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Helt MS, de Marchena AB, Schineller ME, Kirk AI, Scheub RJ, Sorensen TM. Contagious itching is heightened in children with autism spectrum disorders. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13024. [PMID: 33617103 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The authors tested susceptibility to contagious itching, laughter, and yawning in 55 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ages 8-14, and 106 typically developing (TD) children, ages 5-14. Children with ASD were less likely to yawn or laugh contagiously compared with TD peers, but showed increased susceptibility to contagious itching, under naturalistic conditions. Contagious yawning and laughter were positively correlated with emotional empathy in the TD group. In contrast, contagious itching showed no relationship to empathy, and was positively correlated with autism symptom severity in the ASD group. The authors explore the implications of these findings in terms of psychological theories about ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly S Helt
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Ashley B de Marchena
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Molly E Schineller
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Anna I Kirk
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Rachel J Scheub
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Taylor M Sorensen
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
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32
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Cevikbas F, Lerner EA. Physiology and Pathophysiology of Itch. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:945-982. [PMID: 31869278 PMCID: PMC7474262 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00017.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is a topic to which everyone can relate. The physiological roles of itch are increasingly understood and appreciated. The pathophysiological consequences of itch impact quality of life as much as pain. These dynamics have led to increasingly deep dives into the mechanisms that underlie and contribute to the sensation of itch. When the prior review on the physiology of itching was published in this journal in 1941, itch was a black box of interest to a small number of neuroscientists and dermatologists. Itch is now appreciated as a complex and colorful Rubik's cube. Acute and chronic itch are being carefully scratched apart and reassembled by puzzle solvers across the biomedical spectrum. New mediators are being identified. Mechanisms blur boundaries of the circuitry that blend neuroscience and immunology. Measures involve psychophysics and behavioral psychology. The efforts associated with these approaches are positively impacting the care of itchy patients. There is now the potential to markedly alleviate chronic itch, a condition that does not end life, but often ruins it. We review the itch field and provide a current understanding of the pathophysiology of itch. Itch is a disease, not only a symptom of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferda Cevikbas
- Dermira, Inc., Menlo Park, California; and Harvard Medical School and the Cutaneous Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Ethan A Lerner
- Dermira, Inc., Menlo Park, California; and Harvard Medical School and the Cutaneous Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
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33
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Abstract
Itch, in particular chronic forms, has been widely recognized as an important clinical problem, but much less is known about the mechanisms of itch in comparison with other sensory modalities such as pain. Recently, considerable progress has been made in dissecting the circuit mechanisms of itch at both the spinal and supraspinal levels. Major components of the spinal neural circuit underlying both chemical and mechanical itch have now been identified, along with the circuits relaying ascending transmission and the descending modulation of itch. In this review, we summarize the progress in elucidating the neural circuit mechanism of itch at spinal and supraspinal levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-quan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, 201210, Shanghai, China.
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34
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Najafi P, Ben Salem D, Carré JL, Misery L, Dufor O. Functional and anatomical brain connectivity in psoriasis patients and healthy controls: a pilot brain imaging study after exposure to mentally induced itch. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34:2557-2565. [PMID: 32267024 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.16441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the prevalence of psoriasis, the processing of itch in psoriasis and its impact on the central nervous system (CNS) remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We studied the influence of psoriasis on the CNS using magnetic resonance imaging techniques (fMRI and DTI, respectively) to investigate whether mentally induced itch can modify the functional connectivity or the white matter microstructure of the brain. METHODS Fourteen patients with chronic psoriasis and 15 healthy controls were recruited. Itch was mentally induced in subjects by videos showing others scratching themselves. RESULTS The observation of functional connectivity during the viewing the video revealed an interconnected network of brain regions that are more strongly coupled in psoriasis patients than in healthy controls. This network links the cerebellum, the thalami, the anteroposterior cingulum, the inferior parietal lobules, the middle temporal poles and the parahippocampal, hippocampal, lingual and supramarginal gyri. We also found connections with the right precuneus and both left insula and superior temporal gyrus. The DTI analysis showed that chronic itch affects the microstructure of white matter, including the anterior thalamic radiations, the superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, the corticospinal tracts, the cingulum, the external capsules, the inferior frontal-occipital fasciculi and both minor and major forceps. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that there could exist a network which is more interconnected in psoriasis patients. Among two building blocks of this network, the subnetwork encoding the perception and control of itch sensation is more affected than the subnetwork representing mentalizing and empathy. With an approach consisting of measuring microstructural changes at a local level in the brain, we also contradict the findings obtained with global measures which stated that chronic psoriasis cannot alter the anatomy of the brain. This confirms that itchy pathophysiological conditions have similar effects on functional and structural connectivity as those observed in chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D Ben Salem
- Univ Brest, LATIM, Brest, France.,University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
| | - J-L Carré
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France.,University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
| | - L Misery
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France.,University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
| | - O Dufor
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France
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35
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Mueller SM, Carruthers HR, Navarini AA, Goldust M, Gysin S, Itin PH. Pruritic and antipruritic colors: An exploratory pilot study. Dermatol Ther 2020; 33:e13447. [DOI: 10.1111/dth.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon M. Mueller
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
| | | | | | - Mohamad Goldust
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
- University of Rome G. Marconi Rome Italy
- Department of Dermatology University Medical Center Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Stefan Gysin
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
- Institute of Primary and Community Care Lucerne Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy University of Lucerne Lucerne Switzerland
| | - Peter H. Itin
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Basel Basel Switzerland
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36
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Meeuwis SH, van Middendorp H, van Laarhoven AIM, van Leijenhorst C, Pacheco-Lopez G, Lavrijsen APM, Veldhuijzen DS, Evers AWM. Placebo and nocebo effects for itch and itch-related immune outcomes: A systematic review of animal and human studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:325-337. [PMID: 32240668 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Placebo and nocebo effects can influence somatic symptoms such as pain. For itch and other dermatological symptoms these effects have been far less investigated. This review systematically integrates evidence from both animal (mainly rodents) and human trials on placebo and nocebo effects in itch, itch-related symptoms and conditions of the skin and mucous membranes, and related immune outcomes (e.g., histamine). Thirty-one animal studies, and fifty-five human studies (k = 21 healthy participants, k = 34 patients) were included. Overall, studies consistently show that placebo and nocebo effects can be induced by various methods (e.g., suggestions, conditioning and social cues), despite high heterogeneity across studies. Effects of suggestions were found consistently across subjective and behavioral parameters (e.g., itch and scratching in humans), whereas conditioning was likely to impact physiological parameters under certain conditions (e.g., conditioning of histamine levels in stressed rodents). Brain areas responsible for itch processing were associated with nocebo effects. Future research may investigate how variations in methods impact placebo and nocebo effects, and whether all symptoms and conditions can be influenced equally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie H Meeuwis
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Henriët van Middendorp
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Antoinette I M van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Cora van Leijenhorst
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-Lopez
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Health Sciences Department, Lerma, 52005, Edo Mex, Mexico
| | - Adriana P M Lavrijsen
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dieuwke S Veldhuijzen
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
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37
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Stern ER, Brown C, Ludlow M, Shahab R, Collins K, Lieval A, Tobe RH, Iosifescu DV, Burdick KE, Fleysher L. The buildup of an urge in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Behavioral and neuroimaging correlates. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:1611-1625. [PMID: 31916668 PMCID: PMC7082184 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is highly heterogeneous. While obsessions often involve fear of harm, many patients report uncomfortable sensations and/or urges that drive repetitive behaviors in the absence of a specific fear. Prior work suggests that urges in OCD may be similar to everyday "urges-for-action" (UFA) such as the urge to blink, swallow, or scratch, but very little work has investigated the pathophysiology underlying urges in OCD. In the current study, we used an urge-to-blink approach to model sensory-based urges that could be experimentally elicited and compared across patients and controls using the same task stimuli. OCD patients and controls suppressed eye blinking over a period of 60 s, alternating with free blinking blocks, while brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging. OCD patients showed significantly increased activation in several regions during the early phase of eyeblink suppression (first 30 s), including mid-cingulate, insula, striatum, parietal cortex, and occipital cortex, with lingering group differences in parietal and occipital regions during late eyeblink suppression (last 30 s). There were no differences in brain activation during free blinking blocks, and no conditions where OCD patients showed reduced activation compared to controls. In an exploratory analysis of blink counts performed in a subset of subjects, OCD patients were less successful than controls in suppressing blinks. These data indicate that OCD patients exhibit altered brain function and behavior when experiencing and suppressing the urge to blink, raising the possibility that the disorder is associated with a general abnormality in the UFA system that could ultimately be targeted by future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Stern
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.,Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Carina Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.,Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Molly Ludlow
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Rebbia Shahab
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.,Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Katherine Collins
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Alexis Lieval
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Russell H Tobe
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Dan V Iosifescu
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.,Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Katherine E Burdick
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lazar Fleysher
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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Najafi P, Carré JL, Ben Salem D, Brenaut E, Misery L, Dufor O. Central mechanisms of itch: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. J Neuroradiol 2019; 47:450-457. [PMID: 31809769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, studying the central mechanism of itch has gained momentum. However, a proper meta-analysis has not been conducted in this domain. In this study, we tried to respond to this need. A systematic search and a meta-analysis were carried out to estimate the central mechanism of itch. The itch matrix comprises the thalamus and the parietal, secondary somatosensory, insular and cingulate cortices. We have shown that the basal ganglia (BG) play an important role in itch reduction. Finally, we explored itch processing in AD patients and observed that the itch matrix in these patients was different. In conclusion, this is the first meta-analysis on the central mechanisms of itch perception and processing. Our study demonstrated that different modalities of itch induction can produce a common pattern of activity in the brain and provided further insights into understanding the underlying nature of itch central perception.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Luc Carré
- LIEN, université Brest, 29200 Brest, France; University Hospital of Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Douraied Ben Salem
- LaTIM, Inserm UMR 1101, université Brest, 29200 Brest, France; University Hospital of Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Emilie Brenaut
- LIEN, université Brest, 29200 Brest, France; University Hospital of Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Laurent Misery
- LIEN, université Brest, 29200 Brest, France; University Hospital of Brest, 29200 Brest, France.
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39
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Evers AWM, Peerdeman KJ, van Laarhoven AIM. What is new in the psychology of chronic itch? Exp Dermatol 2019; 28:1442-1447. [PMID: 31246320 PMCID: PMC6973117 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Itch is often regarded as unpleasant or bothersome and is accompanied by symptoms of distress and impairments in daily life. The biopsychosocial model of chronic itch describes how psychological factors can contribute to the improvement or exacerbation of chronic itch and related scratching behaviour. Recent research underlines the important role of cognitive-affective information processing, such as attention, affect and expectancies. This may not only play a role for acute itch states, but may particularly apply to the process of itch chronification, for example, due to the vicious cycle in which these factors shape the experience of itch. The present paper focuses on new insights into the relation between itch and the cognitive-affective factors of attention, affect and expectancies. These factors are thought to play a possible aggravating role in itch in the long term and have received increasing attention in the recent empirical literature on maintaining and exacerbating factors for chronic physical symptoms. Possible psychophysiological and neurobiological pathways regarding these factors are discussed, as well as possible intervention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea W. M. Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology UnitLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Kaya J. Peerdeman
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology UnitLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Antoinette I. M. van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology UnitLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
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40
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Marzell R, Reichwein G, Gieler U, Kupfer J, Schut C. Itch induction by audiovisual stimuli and histamine iontophoresis: a randomized, controlled noninferiority study. Br J Dermatol 2019; 182:1253-1261. [PMID: 31344257 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.18368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research has mainly used skin-manipulating methods to induce itch. In comparison, itch induced by audiovisual stimuli lacks direct skin manipulation. OBJECTIVES The aim of this double blind, noninferiority study was to test the experimental hypothesis that itch induced by audiovisual stimuli is noninferior to itch induced by histamine iontophoresis in case of priming and without priming. METHODS In 80 of 160 healthy volunteers itch was induced by histamine iontophoresis, while in the other 80 itch was induced by audiovisual stimulation. Forty people in each group experienced either an initial resting phase or dermal priming. Itch intensity was measured by visual analogue scales, while scratch duration and frequency were video-recorded and evaluated by two independent raters. In addition, itch quality and location were measured by self-report. RESULTS Itch induced by audiovisual stimuli was inferior to itch induced by histamine iontophoresis in the absence of dermal priming. However, in the case of priming, maximal itch induced by audiovisual stimuli was not inferior to maximal itch induced by histamine iontophoresis. Additionally, differences in itch quality and location were observed. CONCLUSIONS The finding that maximal audiovisually-induced itch was comparable with maximal histamine itch only after priming emphasizes that attention plays a dominant role in mentally-induced itch. The comparability of maximal histamine and audiovisually-induced itch in the case of priming opens up new research opportunities. What's already known about this topic? Itch is a multidimensional sensation that is altered by, among other things, attention. To induce itch in basic research, different methods are used, which are partially invasive or cause skin manipulation. Noninvasive audiovisual stimuli can be used to induce itch. What does this study add? This study investigated whether itch induced by audiovisual stimuli is noninferior to itch induced by histamine iontophoresis. Itch induced by audiovisual stimuli is noninferior with regard to maximal intensity in the case of priming. Noninferiority was not shown in the case of no priming, emphasizing the role of attention in itch induction. Histamine and audiovisually-induced itch differ in terms of quality and location, but not in affective reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Marzell
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - G Reichwein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - U Gieler
- Clinics for Dermatology and Allergology, University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - J Kupfer
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - C Schut
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
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41
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Dong X, Dong X. Peripheral and Central Mechanisms of Itch. Neuron 2019; 98:482-494. [PMID: 29723501 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Itch is a unique sensory experience that is encoded by genetically distinguishable neurons both in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) to elicit a characteristic behavioral response (scratching). Itch interacts with the other sensory modalities at multiple locations, from its initiation in a particular dermatome to its transmission to the brain where it is finally perceived. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular and neural mechanisms of itch by starting in the periphery, where itch is initiated, and discussing the circuits involved in itch processing in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Serotoninergic projection from dorsal raphe nucleus to insular cortex is involved in acute itch sensation processing in mice. Brain Res 2019; 1715:224-234. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Park JG, Park HJ, Chae Y, Kim YK, Lee H, Kim K. Acupuncture Treatment for Symptom Management in Atopic Dermatitis: A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Participant- and Assessor-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2019; 2019:1907578. [PMID: 31186656 PMCID: PMC6521562 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1907578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with persistent itching, which impairs quality of life (QoL). Although various conventional treatments for AD exist, patients with AD often seek complementary and alternative therapies when conventional therapy has failed to relieve their AD symptoms or has had adverse effects. Acupuncture treatment may relieve AD symptoms, but controlled trials are needed to confirm this. Following our pilot study, which found that acupuncture treatment improves AD symptoms in mild-to-moderate AD patients, we will assess the effect of acupuncture treatment for symptom relief of AD using a trial with a complemented protocol. This is a two-arm, randomized, participant- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled trial. A total of 36 mild-to-moderate AD patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive eight sessions twice weekly of either verum acupuncture (VA) or nonpenetrating sham acupuncture (SA) over four weeks. The primary outcome measured will be the change in the total Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score. Secondary outcomes will be (1) changes in AD symptoms, QoL, dyspepsia symptoms, and electroencephalography (EEG) between baseline and week 4 and (2) changes in AD symptoms and QoL at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, and 8. This study will assess acupuncture treatment for the alleviation of AD symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate AD. This clinical trial gas been registered in Korean Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: KCT0002796; date of registration: April 13, 2018).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Gun Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology of Korean Medicine, Graduate School of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Hi-Joon Park
- Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Centre, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Younbyoung Chae
- Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Centre, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Kang Kim
- Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Centre, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyangsook Lee
- Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Centre, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyuseok Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
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Mai S, Braun J, Probst V, Kammer T, Pollatos O. Changes in emotional processing following interoceptive network stimulation with rTMS. Neuroscience 2019; 406:405-419. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Kupfer TR, Fessler DMT. Ectoparasite defence in humans: relationships to pathogen avoidance and clinical implications. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0207. [PMID: 29866920 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, disgust is regarded as the main adaptation for defence against pathogens and parasites in humans. Disgust's motivational and behavioural features, including withdrawal, nausea, appetite suppression and the urge to vomit, defend effectively against ingesting or touching sources of pathogens. However, ectoparasites do not attack their hosts via ingestion, but rather actively attach themselves to the body surface. Accordingly, by itself, disgust offers limited defence against ectoparasites. We propose that, like non-human animals, humans have a distinct ectoparasite defence system that includes cutaneous sensory mechanisms, itch-generation mechanisms and grooming behaviours. The existence of adaptations for ectoparasite defence is supported by abundant evidence from non-human animals, as well as more recent evidence concerning human responses to ectoparasite cues. Several clinical disorders may be dysfunctions of the ectoparasite defence system, including some that are pathologies of grooming, such as skin picking and trichotillomania, and others, such as delusory parasitosis and trypophobia, which are pathologies of ectoparasite detection. We conclude that future research should explore both distinctions between, and overlap across, ectoparasite defence systems and pathogen avoidance systems, as doing so will not only illuminate proximate motivational systems, including disgust, but may also reveal important clinical and social consequences.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom R Kupfer
- School of Psychology, Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NP, UK
| | - Daniel M T Fessler
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1553, USA
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Lu JS, Chen QY, Zhou SB, Wu FY, Liu RH, Zhou ZX, Zhang H, Zhuo M. Contagious itch can be induced in humans but not in rodents. Mol Brain 2019; 12:38. [PMID: 31014383 PMCID: PMC6480616 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0455-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Itch contagion has been reported in human when people watch someone scratching in a video. The basic mechanism of contagious itch induced by scratching video is still being investigated. A recent study has reported that adult mice showed itch like responses after watching itch-like video or mice showing itching responses. However, such contagious itch behaviors failed to be reproduced by another study by repeating the same experiments of viewing itching mice. It is unclear if contagious itch induced by seeing itching video may be reproducible. In the present study, we used a four-iPad paradigm to repeat these experiments, and found that mice showed no significant itch-like responses after watching itching video of mice. To test if mice actually can see the video, we placed mirrors at the same location. Interestingly, mice showed altered activities in the open field with the mirrors. Finally, in healthy subjects, we found that viewing human itch video did cause itch sensation or responses. Our results indicate that the mouse model may not appropriate for studying contagious itch in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Shan Lu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Qi-Yu Chen
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Si-Bo Zhou
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Feng-Yi Wu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Ren-Hao Liu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zhao-Xiang Zhou
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Room #3342, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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Mueller SM, Martin S, Grunwald M. Self-touch: Contact durations and point of touch of spontaneous facial self-touches differ depending on cognitive and emotional load. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213677. [PMID: 30861049 PMCID: PMC6413902 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Every human being spontaneously touches its eyes, cheeks, chin and mouth manifold every day. These spontaneous facial self-touches (sFST) are elicited with little or no awareness and are distinct from gestures and instrumental acts. Self-touch frequency has been shown to be influenced by negative affect and attention distraction and may be involved in regulating emotion and working memory functions. Yet, even though self-touch research dates back several decades fundamental aspects, like the temporal progression of sFST or the effects of executing hand and touched face area, have not yet been analyzed. For the first time, the present study measured sFST temporal aspects to the millisecond using accelerometers and EMG. Spontaneous self-touch was triggered in sixty participants who completed a delayed memory task of complex haptic relief stimuli while listening to distracting aversive sounds. We found that while both hands were used equally often and with the same overall movement times and contact durations, significant effects occurred for face area in both frequency and contact durations. Ergo the point of touch seems to have some relevance of its own, independently of which hand is used to perform it. The results show that not only frequency but also the point of touch and contact durations are influenced by cognitive and emotional demands. We argue that investigating the fundamental characteristics of sFST will further the understanding of cognitive focusing and attentional mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Martin
- Haptic Research Lab, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Grunwald
- Haptic Research Lab, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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49
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Brown C, Shahab R, Collins K, Fleysher L, Goodman WK, Burdick KE, Stern ER. Functional neural mechanisms of sensory phenomena in obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 109:68-75. [PMID: 30508745 PMCID: PMC6347462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sensory phenomena (SP) are aversive or uncomfortable sensations that accompany and/or drive repetitive behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although SP are associated with significant distress and may respond less well to standard treatments than harm-related obsessions, little is known about their underlying neurobiology. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain functioning related to severity of SP during a "body-focused" videos task designed to elicit activation in sensorimotor brain regions. Regression analysis examined the relationship between severity of SP and activation during task using permutation analysis, cluster-level corrected for multiple comparisons (family-wise error rate p < 0.05). The distribution of SP severity was not significantly different from normal, with both high- and low-severity scores represented in the OCD sample. Severity of SP was not correlated with other clinical symptoms in OCD including general anxiety, depression, or harm avoidance. When viewing body-focused videos, patients with greater severity of SP showed increased activity in the mid-posterior insula, a relationship that remained significant when controlling for other clinical symptoms, medication status, and comorbidities. At uncorrected thresholds, SP severity was also positively related to somatosensory, mid orbitofrontal, and lateral prefrontal cortical activity. These data suggest that SP in OCD are dissociable from other symptoms in the disorder and related to hyperactivation of the insula. Future work examining neural mechanisms of SP across different disorders (tics, trichotillomania) as well as with other imaging modalities will be needed to further understand the neurobiology of these impairing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Rebbia Shahab
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Collins
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lazar Fleysher
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wayne K Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Emily R Stern
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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50
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