The study shows "how a feeling, such as psychological stress, can translate into a biological event, namely inflamed skin", says co-author Shenbin Liu, a neurobiologist at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. When the immune system malfunctions, it causes the skin cells to regenerate faster than normal. This results in rapid cell turnover and a red, scaly rash that covers the skin and can affect all parts of the body, even the fingernails.