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Brief Communication

Nature Neuroscience 12, 544–546 (1 May 2009) | doi:10.1038/nn.2292

Relief of itch by scratching: state-dependent inhibition of primate spinothalamic tract neurons

Steve Davidson , Xijing Zhang , Sergey G Khasabov , Donald A Simone & Glenn J Giesler

Itch is relieved by scratching, but the neural mechanisms that are responsible for this are unknown. Spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons respond to itch-producing agents and transmit pruritic information to the brain.