Tickle in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, a disease which causes severe itching and scratching, often begins in the first few months of life, and may continue to the adult period, with exacerbations and remissions. The presence of an itching eruption from early life raises such questions as: How does this affect maturation of defenses against irritation? Does early itch-scratch lead to fixation, and of what does this consist? By careful observation of reactions to skin stimulation, it is possible to obtain some information pertinent to these and related problems. Earlier studies10,11,16of responses of subjects to stroking the forehead with cotton for two minutes have proved to be useful indicators of how a person reacts to mild irritation, of how this irritation is a source of erotic pleasure, and of how irritation is finally mastered. We found that people who are emotionally volatile and labile tended to