Effects of Stress on Itch

Clinical Therapeutics
Rachel Shireen GolpanianG Yosipovitch

Abstract

Psychological stress and ensuing modulation of the immune and nervous systems can have a significant impact on itch. Stress can exacerbate itch and vice versa, resulting in a vicious cycle that can greatly impair a patient's quality of life. This review summarizes the association between stress and itch, elucidates the mechanism by which these two phenomena influence one another, and explores treatment modalities that aim to reduce stress-induced itch. A complete search of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was completed and literature pertinent to this review was compiled. Both acute and chronic stress can significantly affect itch in healthy individuals and in those diagnosed with itchy skin diseases as well as systemic diseases, thus resulting in a vicious cycle in which stress exacerbates itch and vice versa. The mechanisms by which stress induces or aggravates itch include both central and peripheral activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system. Activation of these systems, in turn, affects the mast cells, keratinocytes, and nerves that secrete neuropeptides, such as substance P, nerve growth factor, acetylcholine, histamine, and itchy cytokines. A dysfunctional parasympathetic ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 9, 2020·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Rachel Shireen Golpanian, Gil Yosipovitch
Apr 26, 2020·Journal of Clinical Medicine·Hei Sung Kim, Gil Yosipovitch
Jul 21, 2020·The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry·Duraisamy KempurajAsgar Zaheer
Jul 11, 2020·Scientific Reports·Fu-Qiang MaJin-Jian Chang
Apr 24, 2021·The Journal of Investigative Dermatology·Di YanWilson Liao
Jun 12, 2021·The British Journal of Dermatology·A W M Evers, S van Beugen

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