Print Email Facebook Twitter Can contagious itch be affected by positive and negative suggestions? Title Can contagious itch be affected by positive and negative suggestions? Author Meeuwis, Stefanie H. (Universiteit Leiden; Jagiellonian University) Skvortsova, Aleksandrina (Universiteit Leiden; McGill University) van Laarhoven, Antoinette I.M. (Universiteit Leiden; Leiden University Medical Center) Holle, Henning (University of Hull) Evers, A.W.M. (TU Delft HR Health; TU Delft Applied Ergonomics and Design; Universiteit Leiden; Leiden University Medical Center) Date 2022 Abstract Contagious itch can be evoked by observing people scratching. Verbal suggestions about to-be-received itch can influence itch intensity, as shown by placebo research, but it is unknown whether this extends to contagious itch. The current study aimed to replicate prior findings that listening to scratching and rubbing sounds elicits contagious itch, and to investigate whether suggestions can modulate this process. Healthy participants (n = 140) received positive or negative suggestions about itch in response to the sounds (aimed to decrease or increase expected itch, respectively), or no specific suggestions as a control. Participants listened to a number of audio fragments with scratching and rubbing sounds. The amount of expected itch as well as itch sensation after each audio fragment were measured by self-report. Suggestions had no effect on the expected itch. Both rubbing and scratching sounds significantly elicited itch in all groups. Scratching sounds induced more itch than rubbing sounds exclusively in the control group. These findings indicate that short suggestions might be not effective enough to modify the expectations of people regarding contagious itch. Furthermore, suggestions modulate contagious itch to some degree, but not in the hypothesized direction. Potential similarities and differences in the neurobiological mechanisms of contagious itch and nocebo effects are discussed. Subject contagious itchexpectancyitchnocebo effectsplacebo effects To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:953e75cb-4e5e-47c5-8c31-555558bbe34d DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.14663 ISSN 0906-6705 Source Experimental Dermatology, 31 (12), 1853-1862 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2022 Stefanie H. Meeuwis, Aleksandrina Skvortsova, Antoinette I.M. van Laarhoven, Henning Holle, A.W.M. Evers Files PDF Experimental_Dermatology_ ... stions.pdf 664.34 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:953e75cb-4e5e-47c5-8c31-555558bbe34d/datastream/OBJ/view