Cutaneous field stimulation (CFS) : A new powerful method to combat itch
Nilsson, Hans-Jörgen LU ; Levinsson, Anders LU and Schouenborg, Jens LU
(1997)
In Pain
71(1).
p.49-55
- Abstract
Scratching the skin, while instantly relieving itch, often aggravates itch over time due to skin injury. To relieve itch, without damaging the skin, a new technique termed cutaneous field stimulation (CFS) was developed and tested on 21 subjects. CFS uses a flexible plate with needle-like electrodes (n = 16) to electrically stimulate nerve fibres in the superficial skin. The electrodes were stimulated consecutively (4 Hz per electrode, pulse duration 1 ms, intensity 0.4-0.8 mA, 25 min). CFS resulted in a pricking and burning sensation that usually faded rather quickly. The burning sensation was still present during a selective block of impulse conduction in myelinated fibres indicating that nociceptive C-fibres are activated by CFS.... (More)
Scratching the skin, while instantly relieving itch, often aggravates itch over time due to skin injury. To relieve itch, without damaging the skin, a new technique termed cutaneous field stimulation (CFS) was developed and tested on 21 subjects. CFS uses a flexible plate with needle-like electrodes (n = 16) to electrically stimulate nerve fibres in the superficial skin. The electrodes were stimulated consecutively (4 Hz per electrode, pulse duration 1 ms, intensity 0.4-0.8 mA, 25 min). CFS resulted in a pricking and burning sensation that usually faded rather quickly. The burning sensation was still present during a selective block of impulse conduction in myelinated fibres indicating that nociceptive C-fibres are activated by CFS. Furthermore, a flare reaction developed around the CFS electrodes indicating activation of axon reflexes in nociceptive C-fibres. Itch, elicited by transdermal iontophoresis of histamine, was abolished within the skin area pre-treated with CFS, and was reduced to 14% of control 10 cm distally. Contralateral effects were small or non-existent. After 4 h, itch was reduced ipsilaterally to 32% of control. In comparison, 2 h after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS; 10-20 mA, 100 Hz, 25 min) ipsilateral itch was reduced to 56% of control. In conclusion, CFS offers a powerful new method for combating itch. It is suggested that CFS acts through endogenous central inhibitory mechanisms that are normally activated by scratching the skin.
(Less)
- author
- Nilsson, Hans-Jörgen
LU
; Levinsson, Anders
LU
and Schouenborg, Jens
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 1997
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Itch, Pain, Somatosensory, Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- in
- Pain
- volume
- 71
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:0031010206
- scopus:0031010206
- pmid:9200173
- ISSN
- 1872-6623
- DOI
- 10.1016/S0304-3959(97)03339-3
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- baae6bf1-0051-4f4a-9d18-7ed65c0c2357
- date added to LUP
- 2019-06-24 15:58:27
- date last changed
- 2024-05-03 12:21:38
@article{baae6bf1-0051-4f4a-9d18-7ed65c0c2357,
abstract = {{<p>Scratching the skin, while instantly relieving itch, often aggravates itch over time due to skin injury. To relieve itch, without damaging the skin, a new technique termed cutaneous field stimulation (CFS) was developed and tested on 21 subjects. CFS uses a flexible plate with needle-like electrodes (n = 16) to electrically stimulate nerve fibres in the superficial skin. The electrodes were stimulated consecutively (4 Hz per electrode, pulse duration 1 ms, intensity 0.4-0.8 mA, 25 min). CFS resulted in a pricking and burning sensation that usually faded rather quickly. The burning sensation was still present during a selective block of impulse conduction in myelinated fibres indicating that nociceptive C-fibres are activated by CFS. Furthermore, a flare reaction developed around the CFS electrodes indicating activation of axon reflexes in nociceptive C-fibres. Itch, elicited by transdermal iontophoresis of histamine, was abolished within the skin area pre-treated with CFS, and was reduced to 14% of control 10 cm distally. Contralateral effects were small or non-existent. After 4 h, itch was reduced ipsilaterally to 32% of control. In comparison, 2 h after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS; 10-20 mA, 100 Hz, 25 min) ipsilateral itch was reduced to 56% of control. In conclusion, CFS offers a powerful new method for combating itch. It is suggested that CFS acts through endogenous central inhibitory mechanisms that are normally activated by scratching the skin.</p>}},
author = {{Nilsson, Hans-Jörgen and Levinsson, Anders and Schouenborg, Jens}},
issn = {{1872-6623}},
keywords = {{Itch; Pain; Somatosensory; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{49--55}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Pain}},
title = {{Cutaneous field stimulation (CFS) : A new powerful method to combat itch}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(97)03339-3}},
doi = {{10.1016/S0304-3959(97)03339-3}},
volume = {{71}},
year = {{1997}},
}