Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain.

Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment

presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer.

Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as:

• Neuropathic itch
• Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch
• The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch
• Mrgprs as itch receptors
• The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication
• Spinal coding of itch and pain
• Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch

Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.