Functional and anatomical brain connectivity in psoriasis patients and healthy controls: a pilot brain imaging study after exposure to mentally induced itch

Background Despite the prevalence of psoriasis, the processing of itch in psoriasis and its impact on the central nervous system (CNS) remain unclear. Objective We studied the influence of psoriasis on the CNS using magnetic resonance imaging techniques (fMRI and DTI, respectively) to investigate whether mentally induced itch can modify the functional connectivity or the white matter microstructure of the brain. Methods Fourteen patients with...