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Measurement of itch.

Wallengren, Joanna LU orcid (2010) p.45-50
Abstract
Itch is a major symptom of skin disease. Yet, until the last thirty years the investigation of itch has been ignored by researchers. One important reason has been the lack of reliable and sensitive measurement. We can only indirectly measure different aspects of itch perception which is performed on several levels of the nervous system. Physiological itch participates in the defence of the organism from harmful agents and involves multiple steps including the peripheral receptor, the afferent nerve transmitting the impulse to the spinal cord, the signal processing in the dorsal horn and finally transmission to higher cerebral centres in the thalamus and the cortex.1 The perceived itch induces scratching with the purpose of removing harmful... (More)
Itch is a major symptom of skin disease. Yet, until the last thirty years the investigation of itch has been ignored by researchers. One important reason has been the lack of reliable and sensitive measurement. We can only indirectly measure different aspects of itch perception which is performed on several levels of the nervous system. Physiological itch participates in the defence of the organism from harmful agents and involves multiple steps including the peripheral receptor, the afferent nerve transmitting the impulse to the spinal cord, the signal processing in the dorsal horn and finally transmission to higher cerebral centres in the thalamus and the cortex.1 The perceived itch induces scratching with the purpose of removing harmful agents from the skin. Scratching has for a long time been recognised as the most objective and reliable measurement of itch.2 This chapter provides a historical and critical review of the objective and subjective methods of itch measurement both in experimental and in clinical setting. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Pruritus
editor
Misery, L and Ständer, S
pages
45 - 50
publisher
Springer International Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:84885116923
ISBN
978-1-84882-322-8
DOI
10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_8
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
af228ffe-3d7c-4e87-adaa-874c903069ef
date added to LUP
2019-07-24 10:50:00
date last changed
2022-07-27 03:30:22
@inbook{af228ffe-3d7c-4e87-adaa-874c903069ef,
  abstract     = {{Itch is a major symptom of skin disease. Yet, until the last thirty years the investigation of itch has been ignored by researchers. One important reason has been the lack of reliable and sensitive measurement. We can only indirectly measure different aspects of itch perception which is performed on several levels of the nervous system. Physiological itch participates in the defence of the organism from harmful agents and involves multiple steps including the peripheral receptor, the afferent nerve transmitting the impulse to the spinal cord, the signal processing in the dorsal horn and finally transmission to higher cerebral centres in the thalamus and the cortex.1 The perceived itch induces scratching with the purpose of removing harmful agents from the skin. Scratching has for a long time been recognised as the most objective and reliable measurement of itch.2 This chapter provides a historical and critical review of the objective and subjective methods of itch measurement both in experimental and in clinical setting.}},
  author       = {{Wallengren, Joanna}},
  booktitle    = {{Pruritus}},
  editor       = {{Misery, L and Ständer, S}},
  isbn         = {{978-1-84882-322-8}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{45--50}},
  publisher    = {{Springer International Publishing}},
  title        = {{Measurement of itch.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_8}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}