Pruritic and antipruritic colors: An exploratory pilot study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Dermatology
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Itch is a common dermatological symptom influenced by visual cues like contagious itch.
• Colors are known visual stimuli that can modulate sensory perception, including somatosensory inputs.
• The relationship between color perception and itch intensity remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between colors and the sensation of itch.
• To determine the impact of viewing specific colors on itch intensity.
• To explore the potential of color as a therapeutic intervention for itch.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 72 patients with moderate to severe itch (Numerical Rating Scale ≥2).
• Utilized The Manchester Color Wheel and the ItchyQoL questionnaire for color association and quality of life assessment.
• Included an interventional phase where 10 patients were exposed to their self-selected colors.

Main Results:

• 94.4% of patients associated their itch with the color red.
• Blue (43.0%) and green (29.1%) were the most frequently chosen "antipruritic" colors.
• Viewing subjective antipruritic colors significantly decreased itch intensity (5.1 to 2.8 NRS), while viewing pruritic colors increased it (4.9 to 6.8 NRS).

Conclusions:

• Color perception demonstrably influences itch intensity.
• Subjective color associations (pruritic and antipruritic) correlate with itch severity and quality of life.
• Color viewing holds potential as an adjunctive therapy for managing itch, warranting further investigation.