Acute Itch Induces Attentional Avoidance of Itch-related Information
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v102.1626Keywords:
attention, pruritus, histaminergic, agonistAbstract
Attention is known to modulate itch intensity. In contrast, the reverse relationship, i.e. the degree to which the presence of an acute itch affects attention, is currently not well understood. The aims of this study were to investigate whether acute itch induces an attentional bias towards or away from visual itch-related stimuli, and if so, whether it occurs in the early or later stages of processing. A volunteer sample of 60 healthy individuals were subjected to a skin prick (either histamine or placebo), followed by completion of a spatial cueing paradigm using itch-related and neutral words as cues, in order to obtain reaction time estimates of attentional bias. The results suggest that experience of acute itch induces attentional avoidance of visual itch threats. This attentional avoidance occurs at a later processing stage in the form of facilitated disengagement of attention from itch and/or delayed disengagement from neutral information.
Downloads
References
Ikoma A, Steinhoff M, Stander S, Yosipovitch G, Schmelz M. The neurobiology of itch. Nat Rev Neurosci 2006; 7: 535-547.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1950 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1950
van Laarhoven AI, Kraaimaat FW, Wilder-Smith OH, Evers AW. Role of attentional focus on bodily sensations in sensitivity to itch and pain. Acta Derm Venereol 2010; 90: 46-51.
https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0743 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0743
Crombez G, Van Ryckeghem DML, Eccleston C, Van Damme S. Attentional bias to pain-related information: a meta-analysis. Pain 2013; 154: 497-510.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2012.11.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2012.11.013
van Laarhoven AIM, van Damme S, Lavrijsen APM, van Ryckeghem DM, Crombez G, Evers AWM. Attentional processing of itch. Psychol Res 2018; 82: 876-888.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-017-0878-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-017-0878-2
van Laarhoven AIM, van Damme S, Lavrijsen ASPM, van Ryckeghem DM, Crombez G, Evers AWM. Do tonic itch and pain stimuli draw attention towards their location? Biomed Res Int 2017; 2017: 2031627-2031627.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2031627 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2031627
Posner MI. Orienting of attention. Q J Exp Psychol 1980; 32: 3-25.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00335558008248231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00335558008248231
Grubert A, Righi LL, Eimer M. A unitary focus of spatial attention during attentional capture: Evidence from event-related brain potentials. J Vis 2013; 13: 1-11.
https://doi.org/10.1167/13.3.9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1167/13.3.9
Zhou Y, Liang L, Pan Y, Qian N, Zhang M. Sites of overt and covert attention define simultaneous spatial reference centers for visuomotor response. Scientific Reports 2017; 7: 46556.
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46556 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46556
Posner MI, Petersen SE. The attention system of the human brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 1990; 13: 25-42.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ne.13.030190.000325 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ne.13.030190.000325
Bar-Haim Y, Lamy D, Pergamin L, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IMH. Threat-related attentional bias in anxious and nonanxious individuals: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Bull 2007; 133: 1-24.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.1
Cohen J. A power primer. Psychol Bull 1992; 112: 155-159.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
Fox E, Russo R, Bowles R, Dutton K. Do threatening stimuli draw or hold visual attention in subclinical anxiety? J Exp Psychol Gen 2001; 130: 681-700.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.130.4.681 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.130.4.681
Kosteletzky F, Namer B, Forster C, Handwerker HO. Impact of scratching on itch and sympathetic reflexes induced by cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) and histamine. Acta Derm Venereol 2009; 89: 271-277.
https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0624 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0624
van Heuven WJ, Mandera P, Keuleers E, Brysbaert M. SUBTLEX-UK: a new and improved word frequency database for British English. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2014; 67: 1176-1190.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2013.850521 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2013.850521
Jones O, Schindler IC, Holle H. Assessing acute itch intensity: general labelled magnitude scale is more reliable than classic visual analogue scale. Acta Derm Venereol 2017; 97: 375-376.
https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-2584 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-2584
LaMotte RH, Shimada SG, Green BG, Zelterman D. Pruritic and nociceptive sensations and dysesthesias from a spicule of cowhage. J Neurophysiol 2009; 101: 1430-1443.
https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.91268.2008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.91268.2008
Singmann H, Bolker B, Westfall J, Aust F, Ben-Shachar MS. afex: analysis of factorial experiments. R package version 1.0-1. 2021.
Lenth RV. emmeans: estimated marginal means, aka least-squares means. R package version 1.7.0. 2021.
Pronk T, Molenaar D, Wiers RW, Murre J. Methods to split cognitive task data for estimating split-half reliability: a comprehensive review and systematic assessment. Psychon Bull Rev 2021.
https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ywste DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ywste
Becker JM, Vreijling SR, Dobbinga S, Giesbers JJJ, Evers AWM, Veldhuijzen DS, et al. Attentional bias towards visual itch and pain stimuli in itch- and pain-free individuals? Acta Derm Venereol 2020; 100: adv00199.
https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3537 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3537
Holle H, Gunter TC. The role of iconic gestures in speech disambiguation: ERP evidence. J Cogn Neurosci 2007; 19: 1175-1192.
https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2007.19.7.1175 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2007.19.7.1175
Twilley LC, Dixon P. Meaning resolution processes for words: a parallel independent model. Psychon Bull Rev 2000; 7: 49-82.
https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210725 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210725
Todd J, Sharpe L, Johnson A, Nicholson Perry K, Colagiuri B, Dear BF. Towards a new model of attentional biases in the development, maintenance, and management of pain. Pain 2015; 156: 1589-1600.
https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000214 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000214
Shiffrin RM, Schneider W. Controlled and automatic human information-processing. 2. perceptual learning, automatic attending, and a general theory. Psychol Rev 1977; 84: 127-190.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.127 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.127
Schneider W, Chein JM. Controlled & automatic processing: behavior, theory, and biological mechanisms. Cogn Sci 2003; 27: 525-559.
https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog2703_8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog2703_8
Mogg K, Bradley BP. A cognitive-motivational analysis of anxiety. Behav Res Ther 1998; 36: 809-848.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00063-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00063-1
Koster EH, Crombez G, Verschuere B, Van Damme S, Wiersema JR. Components of attentional bias to threat in high trait anxiety: facilitated engagement, impaired disengagement, and attentional avoidance. Behav Res Ther 2006; 44: 1757-1771.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.011
Van Ryckeghem DML, Noel M, Sharpe L, Pincus T, Van Damme S. Cognitive biases in pain: an integrated functional-contextual framework. Pain 2019; 160: 1489-1493.
https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001508 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001508
Fortune DG, Richards HL, Corrin A, Taylor RJ, Griffiths CE, Main CJ. Attentional bias for psoriasis-specific and psychosocial threat in patients with psoriasis. J Behav Med 2003; 26: 211-224.
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023408503807 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023408503807
Broadbent P, Schoth DE, Liossi C. Association between attentional bias to experimentally induced pain and to pain-related words in healthy individuals: the moderating role of interpretation bias. Pain 2022; 163: 319-333.
https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002318 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002318
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Sarah Etty, David N. George, Antoinette I.M. van Laarhoven, Henning Holle
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All digitalized ActaDV contents is available freely online. The Society for Publication of Acta Dermato-Venereologica owns the copyright for all material published until volume 88 (2008) and as from volume 89 (2009) the journal has been published fully Open Access, meaning the authors retain copyright to their work.
Unless otherwise specified, all Open Access articles are published under CC-BY-NC licences, allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution to the original work.
