Project Details
Projekt
Effects of stress management on induced itch and on the activity in brain regions linked to itch in patients with atopic dermatits: a randomized controlled study
Applicant
Dr. Christina Schut
Subject Area
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
Dermatology
Dermatology
Term
Funded in 2014
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 251171139
Stress and itch are associated in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Psychological interventions including stress management (SM) have positive effects on the skin status and physiological stress parameters in this patient group. However, it is not known whether SM also affects scratching behavior and itch intensity as well as activity in brain regions linked to itch in itch inducing situations. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial investigates whether SM decreases induced itch and activity in certain brain regions in AD-patients and healthy controls (HC). AD-patients and HC will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). The EG will take part in a SM program including relaxation training, while the CG is a waiting-list control group and will be offered the same training at the end of the study. Before and after the training, itch will be induced in all patients by the presentation of video clips showing someone scratching. Itch intensity will be measured by visual analog scales immediately after the video presentation. The number of scratch movements during the video presentation will be counted by two independent persons. In order to investigate whether SM affects the neural basis of itch, functional neuroimaging will be used to measure the activity in cortical areas linked to itch during the video presentation before and after the training. Moreover, heart-rate variability and the self-rated stress level will be assessed as a manipulation check before and after the training.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
USA
