HYPOTHESIS - THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PATHO-PHYSIOLOGY OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 12  (3) , 406-411
Abstract
No current theory of the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) explains its important clinical features. It is thought that neural mechanisms are involved in this pathophysiology and they explain at least 3 clinical features: specific high risk joints are more likely to develop arthritis; specific high risk joints have more severe arthritis; and RA is bilaterally symmetric. If the hypothesis is correct, it will provide a rationale for the development of new therapies for what is now an inadequately treated disease.