Exploring How Contagious Itch Works on the Skin

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Participants complete questionnaires about itch, pain, and personality traits, then receive six skin applications (two histamine, two cowhage, two placebo) on forearms while itch and pain are tracked on a 10-minute scale. The session lasts about 90 minutes and includes monitoring for contagious itch. The goal is to understand mechanisms underlying contagious itch across histaminergic and nonhistaminergic pathways. Only one experimental session is required for each participant.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* 18-60 years
* Speak and understand English

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy or lactation
* Drug addiction defined as any use of cannabis, opioids, or other drugs
* Previous or current history of neurological, immunological, musculoskeletal, cardiac disorder or psychiatric diagnoses that may affect the results (e.g., neuropathy, muscular pain in the upper extremities, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc.)
* Moles, wounds, scars, or tattoos in the area to be treated or tested
* Current use of medications that may affect the trial such as antihistamines and pain killers
* Skin diseases
* Consumption of alcohol or painkillers 24 hours before the study days and between these
* Acute or chronic pain and itch
* Participation in other trials within 1 week of study entry (4 weeks in the case of pharmaceutical studies)
* Contraindications to capsaicin, including intolerance to chili or burns or wounds at the application site
* The subject is assessed as unable to engage in the necessary cooperation required by the study

Where it's running

• Aalborg University
  Gistrup, Denmark, Denmark Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Silvia Lo Vecchio, PhD
• Email: slv@hst.aau.dk
• Phone: +4521397785

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Topical Roflumilast Cream for Itch in Atopic Dermatitis: See If It Helps Over 4 Weeks

  This trial tests whether a 0.15% topical roflumilast cream can reduce itching in people 12 years and older with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis over 4 weeks.

  Recruiting Phase 4 Integrative Skin Science and Research · Sacramento, California · NCT07560618

• Placebo effects on histamine and cowhage-induced itch

  This one-time, 1½-hour session will test whether applying a harmless cream reduces histamine- and cowhage-induced itch in healthy adults aged 18–60.

  Recruiting Aalborg University · Gistrup · NCT07247695

• Mapping itch and pain receptor locations on the face

  We will test how itch and pain are felt at different spots on the face in healthy adults by applying mild provocations (histamine, cowhage, capsaicin) and measuring responses over three days.

  Recruiting Aalborg University · Gistrup, Aalborg · NCT07122973

• Using Virtual Reality and Hypnosis to Reduce Chronic Itch

  This study is testing whether using virtual reality combined with hypnosis can help people with chronic itch feel better.

  Recruiting Universiteit Leiden · Leiden, South Holland · NCT06787794

• Effects of motor imagery on pain and itch perception

  This study tests if imagining movements can help reduce pain and itch sensations in people experiencing these feelings.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Aalborg University · Gistrup and 1 other locations · NCT06503523

• Blocking IL-13 to see how it changes itch and skin pain sensitivity

  This trial will test whether lebrikizumab, a drug that blocks IL-13, changes itch and skin pain sensitivity in healthy adults and people with atopic dermatitis.

  Recruiting Aalborg University · Gistrup, Aalborg and 2 other locations · NCT06503510

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.