title: Active "itch fibers" in chronic pruritus.
abstract: An itch-specific neuronal pathway was recently discovered in healthy humans and animals. Here the authors report that activity in this specific pathway coincides with itch under pathophysiologic conditions in a patient with chronic pruritus. Microneurographic recordings from the symptomatic area revealed spontaneous activity in six single C-fiber afferents that had the characteristic features of "itch fibers." Itch may be caused by activity in a specific subpopulation of C-fiber afferents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Uppsala, Sweden. schmelz@physiologie1.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmelz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilliges
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ørstavik
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vahlquist
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Handwerker
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Torebjörk
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011536:Prurigo / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity