ArticleAnais brasileiros de dermatologia
More than a skin disease: stress, depression, anxiety levels, and serum neurotrophins in lichen simplex chronicus.
Article in Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fire needling therapy for neurodermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Psychopathology Associated with Chronic Pruritus: A Systematic Review.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2023Pooled it
- Sex- and Gender-Related Differences in Pruritus in Dermatological Diseases: Insights into Inflammatory, Autoimmune, and Connective Tissue Disorders.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Lichen Simplex Chronicus: Clinical Perspectives and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2025Review
- Erectile dysfunction in dermatology and venereology: From aetiopathogenic mechanisms to practical considerations for dermato-venereologists.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2025Review
- A Rare Complication of Lichen Simplex Chronicus Following Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Reconstruction.Cureus · 2025Article
- A Retrospective Analysis of Itch Intensity and Comorbidities in Lichen Simplex Chronicus.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2025Article
- The Role of the Neurotrophin Network in Skin Squamous Cell Cancer and the Novel Use of the Zebrafish System.JID innovations : skin science from molecules to population health · 2024Review
- Genetic analyses unravel the causal association of cytokine levels on lichen simplex chronicus risk: insights from a mendelian randomization study.Archives of dermatological research · 2024Article
- A review of psychocutaneous disorders from a psychotherapeutic perspective-Toolkit for the dermatologist.Skin health and disease · 2023Review
- Perceived stress in patients with inflammatory and non-inflammatory skin conditions. An observational controlled study among 255 Norwegian dermatological outpatients.Skin health and disease · 2022Article
- Lichen Simplex Chronicus Itch: An Update.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2022Article
- Adjunctive Habit Reversal Therapy in Treatment of Lichen Simplex Chronicus (Neurodermatitis): A Comparative, Pilot Study.Indian journal of dermatologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLichen simplex chronicus is a dermatological condition due to excessive scratching, with few studies on psychoneuroimmunology.
objectiveWe aimed to estimate the levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, and to measure serum levels of neurotrophins in patients with lichen simplex chronicus, and to correlate these parameters with the severity of the disease and pruritus.
methodsThirty-six patients with lichen simplex chronicus and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Each participant was administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Perceived Stress Scale questionnaires, along with a visual analog scale for pruritus. Levels of neurotrophins (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, nerve growth factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) were determined by ELISA assays.
resultsThe scores of Perceived Stress Scale-10, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were statistically higher in patients (p < 0.05 for all). The serum levels of all neurotrophins were significantly lower in patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05 for all). Disease severity showed no correlation with all four neurotrophins. In linear regression models applied for increased visual analog scale-pruritus scores and disease severity these two variables were statistically significant predictors (p = 0.043). STUDY LIMITATIONS: A direct causal relationship was not addressed.
conclusionLichen simplex chronicus patients are at risk of increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and present decreased levels of neurotrophins, that may suggest a role in the pathophysiology of this disorder.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.