Psoriasis and disgust
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are emotions a core ‘marker’ of neuropsychological morbidity in patients with psoriasis? – a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
IRAS ID
135100
Contact name
Elise Kleyn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Research summary
Psoriasis is a chronic, currently incurable skin disease which has a substantial physical and psychological impact. Indeed, the psychological, social and life-changing impact of psoriasis are equal to, or greater than other chronic diseases such heart disease and diabetes. Understanding the interaction between the nervous system (including control of important psychological functions such as emotions and understanding) and skin - the “brain-skin axis” - is of great clinical importance given the need for new ways to help patients with psoriasis manage the physical and psychological effects of the disease.
We believe that the psychological effects of psoriasis are mediated by: self-perception; self-acceptance; and, emotional processing of disgust related to social acceptance. We were the first to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show an alteration in both the behavioural and neural processing of disgust in psoriasis patients as compared to healthy volunteers.
The key objective of this study is to study whether altered emotional processing of disgust is a core or key ‘marker’ of the psychological effect of psoriasis. We will study psoriasis of varying duration. We shall recruit 40 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (n=20, recent onset <3years; n=20, long-standing disease >10years) and 20 healthy controls. All participants including controls will undergo detailed neuropsychological tests as well as fMRI.
The study will move the field forward by identifying a difference between recently diagnosed patients and patients with long-standing disease. These data will be important to future work of how and when to intervene with psoriasis treatment to prevent development of serious psychosocial sequelae as well as helping clinicians to make treatment decisions for those who have long-term disease.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0549
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion