Affective touch reduces histamine evoked itch experience

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Dermatology
• Psychology

Background:

• Chronic itch conditions like eczema often require topical corticosteroids, which carry risks such as skin thinning and withdrawal.
• The need for non-pharmaceutical alternatives to manage chronic itch is growing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate affective touch as a strategy to alleviate histamine-induced itch.
• To explore if individual somatosensory experiences influence the itch-reducing effects of affective touch.

Main Methods:

• Sixty participants experiencing histamine-induced itch were exposed to three conditions: affective touch (slow stroking), non-affective touch (fast stroking), and active control (tapping).
• Participants rated itch severity and touch pleasantness after each trial.
• The Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ) and Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ) were used to assess individual differences.

Main Results:

• Affective touch significantly reduced itch severity compared to both non-affective touch and the active control (p < .001).
• No significant correlation was found between TEAQ/PVAQ scores and itch severity during affective touch.

Conclusions:

• Affective touch demonstrates a significant relieving effect on histamine-induced itch.
• This finding supports affective touch as a potential non-pharmaceutical treatment for itch conditions, complementing existing therapies.