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Robert LaMotte, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Senior Research Scientist

Contact Information

Robert LaMotte, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Anesthesiology

    PO Box 208051, 333 Cedar Street, TMP 3

    New Haven, CT 06520-8051

    United States

LaMotte Lab

Research Summary

Dr. LaMotte's laboratory investigates the peripheral neural mechanisms of itch and pain. The neural basis of itch is poorly understood despite its clinical importance. Dr. LaMotte and his lab are currently addressing the problem by means of NIH funded research to characterize peripheral neural mechanisms encoding acute and persistent itch. Their approach is to correlate psychophysical measurements of itch and pain in humans (measured in the LaMotte lab) with electrophysiological recordings from pruriceptive and nociceptive peripheral nerve fibers in the monkey (obtained in the laboratory of Matthias Ringkamp, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine) using the same types of pruritic and nociceptive stimuli. The correlations are used to identify candidate neural mechanisms that code the sensations of acute itch and pathologically persistent itch. For example, Dr. LaMotte and his lab are using novel pruritogens (pruritic chemicals) that selectively activate one or more types of cutaneous nociceptors to elicit itch. They are also identifying experimental conditions that can enhance the itch or the pain produced by these and other pruritogens, and are seeking to define conditions where pain and itch coexist as can sometimes occur in clinical neuropathic or inflammatory diseases.

In preclinical models of inflammatory itch, Dr. LaMotte's lab is comparing the enhanced and persistent itch and pain accompanying either of two types of contact dermatitis - irritant dermatitis that activates the innate immune system and allergic contact dermatitis that additionally activates the adaptive immune system. They will determine the effects of reducing or eliminating activity in one set of nociceptive nerve fibers on the remaining sensibilities mediated by other types. This approach will aid the development of anti-pruritic and analgesic therapies that selectively modify itch and pain.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Anesthesiology; Nervous System; Neurochemistry; Neurons; Neurophysiology; Pain; Nociceptive Pain

Selected Publications

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