Abstract
One of the main obstacles to research of itch and anti-itch therapeutics is the lack of objective methods for the measurement of itch. When an animal scratches, we do not know that this indicates itch. Since itch cannot be defined in animals, in assessing anti-itch substances we have to rely on human subjects who can describe their sensations. Clinical studies, however, are hampered by the varied and subjective nature of itch and the difficulties of quantifying it. What we need are accurate, non-invasive methods to quantify itch, as well as experimental models of itch induction that can aid us in avoiding subjectivity and variability in studies carried out on patients and volunteers.
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Yosipovitch, G. (2000). Methodological Approaches for Testing Anti-itch and Related Substances. In: Gabard, B., Surber, C., Elsner, P., Treffel, P. (eds) Dermatopharmacology of Topical Preparations. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57145-9_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57145-9_15
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