Document Detail


Effect of itch, scratching and mental stress on autonomic nervous system function in atopic dermatitis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20574599     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Atopic dermatitis is a stress-responsive disorder that involves the autonomic nervous system. The current study used heart rate variability to examine the effect of itch, scratching and mental stress in atopic patients with moderate to severe disease. Twenty-one patients with active disease and 24 healthy volunteers participated in the study. Heart rate variability measurements were taken at 5 min intervals at rest and after each of 3 acute stress tests, which included histamine-induced itch at the forearm, scratching around the itch site, and the Trier Social Stress Test. Atopic patients displayed a higher heart rate than healthy controls in all 4 experimental settings, which was statistically significant using Cohen's delta analysis. The very low frequency component of the power spectrum, indicative of sympathetic activity, showed a 200% increase after scratching in patients with atopic dermatitis. The high frequency component, reflecting parasympathetic tone, responded swiftly to itch and scratching in healthy controls, but displayed a limited adaptability in atopic dermatitis. This study supports the concept that atopic dermatitis is a stress-responsive disorder and involves autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Atopic subjects exhibited an overactive sympathetic response to itch and scratching, while the parasympathetic tone was persistently and rigidly elevated, showing a lack of adaptability in response to stress.
Authors:
Bryant W Tran; Alexandru D P Papoiu; Carmen V Russoniello; Hui Wang; Tejesh S Patel; Yiong-Huak Chan; Gil Yosipovitch
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Acta dermato-venereologica     Volume:  90     ISSN:  1651-2057     ISO Abbreviation:  Acta Derm. Venereol.     Publication Date:  2010 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-24     Completed Date:  2010-10-12     Revised Date:  2012-01-02    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370310     Medline TA:  Acta Derm Venereol     Country:  Sweden    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  354-61     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Psychological
Administration, Cutaneous
Adolescent
Adult
Autonomic Nervous System / physiopathology*
Case-Control Studies
Dermatitis, Atopic / physiopathology*,  psychology
Electric Capacitance
Female
Heart Rate*
Histamine / administration & dosage
Humans
Iontophoresis
Male
Middle Aged
Plethysmography
Pruritus / physiopathology*,  psychology
Severity of Illness Index
Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*,  psychology
Time Factors
Water Loss, Insensible
Young Adult
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
51-45-6/Histamine

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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