Itch can be suppressed by scratching. At the same time, scratching evokes a pleasurable sensation. In the present study, we investigated the peripheral mechanism of scratching-induced pleasurability and its association with itch relief using compression nerve block. We found that myelinated nerve fibers (Aβ-fibers and possibly Aδ-fibers), are involved in transmission of scratching-induced pleasurability. We observed that itch relief effect was the same regardless of whether the pleasurable sensation was evoked by scratching an itch, indicating that pleasure is not a necessary component to induce itch relief. This is the first study to investigate the peripheral mechanism of scratching-induced pleasurability and itch relief.
Keywords: itch; itch relief; nerve blocking; peripheral nerve fibers; pleasurability; scratch.