Linking Fibromyalgia to the Brain
Reported November 04, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Fibromyalgia patients may finally have some answers as to what causes their disease.
Researchers in France used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to detect functional abnormalities in certain regions in the brains of patients with fibromyalgia. This reinforces the idea that symptoms of the disorder are related to a dysfunction in the areas of the brain where pain is processed.
Fibromyalgia is frequently considered an invisible syndrome since musculoskeletal imaging is negative, lead author Eric Guedj, M.D., was quoted as saying. Past imaging studies of patients with the syndrome, however, have shown above-normal cerebral blood flow (brain perfusion) in some areas of the brain and below-normal in other areas. After performing whole-brain scans on the participants, we used a statistical analysis to study the relationship between functional activity in even the smallest area of the brain and various parameters related to pain, disability and anxiety/depression.
The study looked at 20 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy women. Participants answered questions as to their level of pain, disability, anxiety and depression as well as had a SPECT screening.
Results show fibromyalgia patients had brain perfusion abnormalities compared to the healthy women, and these abnormalities were directly correlated with the severity of the disease. An increase in perfusion was found in that region of the brain known to recognize pain intensity, and a decrease was found within those areas thought to be involved in emotional responses to pain.
Fibromyalgia patients have widespread muscle pain, fatigue and multiple tender points in specific places including the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. It is one of the leading causes of musculoskeletal pain and disability, affecting three to six million Americans – between 80 and 90 percent of those diagnosed is women.
SOURCE: Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 2008