Why is it so good to scratch?
updated the 24 June 2015 à 10:58By seeking to know why scratching works and feels so good, researchers hope to discover new and effective treatments against diseases such as psoriasis and eczema.
Some scientific studies are more sadistic than others. An example of that is the one carried out by researchers from Temple centre in the United States. They ensured that 174 volunteers are suffering from itching but prohibited them to use their nails to relieve themselves.
All that to elucidate one of the many mysteries of the universe: “Why is it so good to scratch?”
The volunteers were then given an MRI of the right side of thee brain. At first when they’re still not able to scratch, then when researchers devoted themselves to rub their little painful areas, and finally when the subjects were allowed to quietly scratch the skin as they wished.
With this process, the researchers found that there was no single area associated with itching. Relief provided by the Scratching is not a feeling but a complex mental process where many areas of the brain are involved including those related to motivation, reward, pleasure and even addiction! And as we already suspected, it is more efficient to scratch yourself than leaving the task to someone else.
Obviously, the purpose of this research is not to calm irritation due to an annoying mosquito or an irritating button but rather to provide new drugs for those suffering from severe itching that ruin their lives and are not not always relieved by conventional treatments.
The most common causes are psoriasis, eczema, kidney and thyroid troubles.
Maureen Diament
