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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors
04:59

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors

Published on: September 27, 2019

Mechanically evoked itch in humans.

Miyuki Fukuoka1, Yoshiki Miyachi, Akihiko Ikoma

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.

Pain
|April 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mechanical vibration of facial vellus hairs causes intense itch, distinct from histamine-induced itch. This mechanically evoked itch suggests a role for specific mechanosensitive nerves in human skin sensation.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors
04:59

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Published on: September 27, 2019

Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects
13:21

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Published on: January 14, 2009

Measuring Changes in Tactile Sensitivity in the Hind Paw of Mice Using an Electronic von Frey Apparatus
07:49

Measuring Changes in Tactile Sensitivity in the Hind Paw of Mice Using an Electronic von Frey Apparatus

Published on: December 19, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Dermatology
  • Sensory Physiology

Background:

  • The precise mechanisms underlying itch sensation, particularly non-histaminergic itch, remain incompletely understood.
  • Investigating novel methods to evoke and study itch is crucial for differentiating it from pain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the characteristics of itch evoked by mechanical vibration of human facial skin.
  • To explore the potential involvement of specific nerve fibers in mechanically evoked itch.
  • To differentiate mechanically evoked itch from histamine-induced itch.

Main Methods:

  • A novel experimental method involving vibration of vellus hairs on human facial and arm skin was employed.
  • Subjects reported itch intensity and characteristics.
  • Comparison with histamine-induced itch and response to histamine H1-receptor antagonists were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Mechanical vibration reproducibly induced intense itch on the face, but not the arm, without flare reactions.
  • Mechanically evoked itch was distinct from histamine itch, lacking burning/stinging sensations and showing resistance to H1-receptor antagonists.
  • Itch rapidly peaked, then attenuated during continuous stimulation, but persisted after cessation, suggesting nerve fatigue and after-discharge properties.

Conclusions:

  • Direct evidence supports the involvement of mechanosensitive nerves in human skin itch.
  • The findings suggest a potential role for C-tactile neurons in mechanically evoked itch.
  • Mechanically evoked itch, free of pain components, offers a valuable model for studying itch mechanisms and sensitization.