STUDIES OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL FACTORS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Twenty-five rheumatoid arthritics and 25 control patients were subjected to studies of skin temperature changes under induced emotional stress. Suggestive but inconclusive differences were noted. Emotional stress was found to produce a drop in skin temperature indicative of changes in circulation. The importance of such a mechanism in the development of arthritis could not be conclusively evaluated but its influence appeared to be greater in producing exacerbations or in influencing the course of the illness. The significance of emotional stress and its method of action in regard to rheumatoid arthritis remain unsettled but the field is worthy of further investigation.