Testing Protocol to Efficiently Induce Itch (ELIT)

Aalborg University

Status

Invitation-only

Conditions

Itch

Treatments

Drug: Local anesthetic cream 1 hour

Drug: Anti-histamine cream 1 hour

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05195177

N-2020001 4-sub-project

Details and patient eligibility

About

This subproject aims to evaluate a new nerve excitability protocol to induce itch in healthy controls by electrical stimulation. Itch has many similarities with pain, and the nerve fibers that mediate the two sensations probably have the same morphological and excitability properties. The method used in this project will be the same as our research group uses for studying nociceptor fibers (PTT technique), but the focus is on the itch sensation. Since the itch fibers also terminate in the epidermis, our PTT technique should also be able to activate itch fibers, similar to pain fibers. If itch could be effectively induced by electrical stimulation, this would generate a valuable tool for studying itch in healthy controls. The sub-project takes place in 2 sessions (2 hours each).

Enrollment

20 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 80 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Healthy men and women in the age 18-80 years who speak and understand

Exclusion criteria

Pregnancy or breast feeding
Drug addiction defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs
Previous and present neurologic, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses (e.g., epilepsy, neuropathy, fibromyalgia and depression)
Skin diseases
Past history of conditions possibly leading to neuropathy
Inability to cooperate
Current use of medications that may affect the study, e.g., analgesics
Previous traumatic experience of an electrical accident
Consumption of alcohol or painkillers within the last 24 hours
Participation in other pain studies throughout the study period
Patients with cardiac diseases (e.g., pacemaker).