BACKGROUND On pathophysiologic grounds, fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by a deficit in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), but the role of depressive symptoms on these mechanisms has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the deficit in pain inhibition would be more pronounced in FM patients with depressive symptoms (FM+D), relative to patients without such symptoms (FM-D). METHODS Fifty-two women diagnosed with FM (American College of Rheumatology criteria) and 10 healthy women participated in this study. Thermal stimuli were used to measure pain thresholds and DNIC efficacy (spatial summation paradigm). Clinical pain was measured using visual analog scales. RESULTS We found that the amplitude of DNIC was smaller in FM+D patients, relative to the FM-D group; and that daily pain (unpleasantness) was higher in the FM+D group, relative to FM-D patients. DISCUSSION We found that FM+D patients have a more pronounced deficit in pain inhibition as well increased clinical pain. As such, these results show the usefulness of combining psychologic factors and psychophysical measures to identify subgroups of FM patients. These results may have implications for future treatment of FM patients with and without comorbid depressive symptoms.
%0 Journal Article
%1 de_souza_deficit_2009
%A de Souza, Juliana Barcellos
%A Potvin, Stéphane
%A Goffaux, Philippe
%A Charest, Jacques
%A Marchand, Serge
%D 2009
%J The Clinical Journal of Pain
%K Analysis_of_Variance Arm Comorbidity Depression Female Fibromyalgia Humans Inhibition_{(Psychology)} Pain_Measurement Pain_Threshold Physical_Stimulation Psychometrics
%N 2
%P 123--127
%R 10.1097/AJP.0b013e318183cfa4
%T The deficit of pain inhibition in fibromyalgia is more pronounced in patients with comorbid depressive symptoms
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19333157
%V 25
%X BACKGROUND On pathophysiologic grounds, fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by a deficit in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), but the role of depressive symptoms on these mechanisms has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the deficit in pain inhibition would be more pronounced in FM patients with depressive symptoms (FM+D), relative to patients without such symptoms (FM-D). METHODS Fifty-two women diagnosed with FM (American College of Rheumatology criteria) and 10 healthy women participated in this study. Thermal stimuli were used to measure pain thresholds and DNIC efficacy (spatial summation paradigm). Clinical pain was measured using visual analog scales. RESULTS We found that the amplitude of DNIC was smaller in FM+D patients, relative to the FM-D group; and that daily pain (unpleasantness) was higher in the FM+D group, relative to FM-D patients. DISCUSSION We found that FM+D patients have a more pronounced deficit in pain inhibition as well increased clinical pain. As such, these results show the usefulness of combining psychologic factors and psychophysical measures to identify subgroups of FM patients. These results may have implications for future treatment of FM patients with and without comorbid depressive symptoms.
@article{de_souza_deficit_2009,
abstract = {{BACKGROUND} On pathophysiologic grounds, fibromyalgia {(FM)} is characterized by a deficit in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls {(DNIC)}, but the role of depressive symptoms on these mechanisms has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the deficit in pain inhibition would be more pronounced in {FM} patients with depressive symptoms {(FM+D)}, relative to patients without such symptoms {(FM-D).} {METHODS} Fifty-two women diagnosed with {FM} {(American} College of Rheumatology criteria) and 10 healthy women participated in this study. Thermal stimuli were used to measure pain thresholds and {DNIC} efficacy (spatial summation paradigm). Clinical pain was measured using visual analog scales. {RESULTS} We found that the amplitude of {DNIC} was smaller in {FM+D} patients, relative to the {FM-D} group; and that daily pain (unpleasantness) was higher in the {FM+D} group, relative to {FM-D} patients. {DISCUSSION} We found that {FM+D} patients have a more pronounced deficit in pain inhibition as well increased clinical pain. As such, these results show the usefulness of combining psychologic factors and psychophysical measures to identify subgroups of {FM} patients. These results may have implications for future treatment of {FM} patients with and without comorbid depressive symptoms.},
added-at = {2011-08-03T20:41:54.000+0200},
author = {de Souza, Juliana Barcellos and Potvin, Stéphane and Goffaux, Philippe and Charest, Jacques and Marchand, Serge},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/256b893e7e91ff7f31c07fb34ec9b648a/crc_chus},
doi = {10.1097/AJP.0b013e318183cfa4},
interhash = {fc4d9c0f7cbec977dbe308a8e5ed981e},
intrahash = {56b893e7e91ff7f31c07fb34ec9b648a},
issn = {1536-5409},
journal = {The Clinical Journal of Pain},
keywords = {Analysis_of_Variance Arm Comorbidity Depression Female Fibromyalgia Humans Inhibition_{(Psychology)} Pain_Measurement Pain_Threshold Physical_Stimulation Psychometrics},
month = feb,
note = {{PMID:} 19333157},
number = 2,
pages = {123--127},
timestamp = {2011-08-03T20:41:54.000+0200},
title = {The deficit of pain inhibition in fibromyalgia is more pronounced in patients with comorbid depressive symptoms},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19333157},
volume = 25,
year = 2009
}