Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.1
2.4
Journals
Medicina
Special Issues
Updates on Fibromyalgia Research
share announcement

Updates on Fibromyalgia Research

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 19720

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Valeria Giorgi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan University School of Medicine, Milan, Italy
Interests: chronic pain; fibromyalgia; cannabis; nociplastic pain; chronic widespread pain

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is one of the most common conditions causing chronic widespread pain worldwide, although it is far from being a solely painful condition. It is characterized by a complex array of multisystem symptoms, among which chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunctions, functional symptoms and mood disorders are prominent. It is recognized as one of the major causes of poor quality of life, high health expenditure and indirect social costs (in terms of sick leave and loss of working productivity). In fact, although FMS is a common condition in the general population, diagnostic difficulties and lack of gold-standard treatments are still hampering effective FMS management. In the last decade, more than four diagnostic criteria have followed one another (especially due to the absence of diagnostic biomarkers), and there is still lack of consensus regarding FMS aetiopathogenesis.

However, increasing awareness has been paid to FMS in recent years, and many new discoveries have been made in clinical and preclinical research. FMS has been linked with central alterations (altered central nervous system activation and brain connectivity, neuroinflammation, cognitive-emotional influence) and peripheral abnormalities (small fiber neuropathy, altered activation of immune cells, altered intestinal microbiota). In addition, a recent preclinical study showed the possibility of the presence of specific autoantibodies in FMS patients’ sera.

Therefore, in the framework of this outlook, which is full of research opportunities, Medicina decided to publish a Special Issue dedicated to the updates in FMS research. In keeping with the journal’s aims, we are looking for original research or review manuscripts related to prevention and treatment, issues related to global health and problems of developing and developed countries.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present new insights into FMS diagnosis, epidemiology (e.g., symptom presentation and monitoring in men), aetiopathogenesis and treatment, by means of clinical and preclinical studies.

Dr. Valeria Giorgi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fibromyalgia
  • fibromyalgia syndrome
  • chronic pain
  • nociplastic pain
  • central pain
  • autoimmunity
  • neuroinflammation
  • epidemiology
  • treatment
  • pathogenesis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 442 KiB  
Article
The Role of Obsessive Compulsive Traits in Fibromyalgia: Is Pain-Related Obsessive Ideation Involved in Pathogenesis?
by Bat-El Lugassy-Galper, Mor Amital, Howard Amital, Dan Buskila and Daniela Amital
Medicina 2024, 60(7), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60071027 - 23 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is defined as a chronic pain syndrome that is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and diffuse stiffness. In addition, neuropsychological symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, poor mood, cognitive impairment, and headaches are often reported. Many [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is defined as a chronic pain syndrome that is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and diffuse stiffness. In addition, neuropsychological symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, poor mood, cognitive impairment, and headaches are often reported. Many reports have addressed the coexistence of affective disorders and anxiety with FMS, yet few have focused on its association with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We investigated the occurrence of classical patterns of OCD in participants with FMS and assessed their effect on pain perception and functional impairment. Material and Methods: The research population included 37 patients diagnosed with FMS, treated at the Rheumatology Clinic in the Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. We used validated questionnaires including a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on average and maximal pain intensity, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Obsessive questionnaire, and the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Results: Patients with FMS were found to have intrusive and obsessive thoughts regarding pain for several hours every day, causing a high degree of anxiety and high levels of pain, catastrophizing, and magnification, leading to helplessness and functional impairment. In total, 27% of the patients reported severe malfunction due to pain and pain ideation, and 49% demonstrated mild obsessive compulsive symptoms that were strongly correlated with pain intensity and functional impairment. Conclusions: Obsessive compulsive thinking patterns contribute to pain magnification and to the cognitive aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Updates on Fibromyalgia Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 648 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of FMS Diagnosis According to ACR 2016 Revised Criteria in a Pain Therapy Centre in Italy: Observational Study
by Vittorio Schweiger, Alvise Martini, Marta Nizzero, Eleonora Bonora, Giovanna Del Balzo, Leonardo Gottin, Lorena Torroni, Luca Polati, Giada Zuliani, Erica Secchettin and Enrico Polati
Medicina 2024, 60(4), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60040599 - 4 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2153
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a multifaceted disease with a strong preference for the female sex. It is characterised by chronic widespread pain, sleep–wake disorders, fatigue, cognitive disturbances, and several other somatic symptoms. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a multifaceted disease with a strong preference for the female sex. It is characterised by chronic widespread pain, sleep–wake disorders, fatigue, cognitive disturbances, and several other somatic symptoms. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, we analysed data regarding 302 patients who were referred to our pain centre for a first clinical assessment evaluation and were then inspected for the physician-based 2016 revision of the ACR diagnostic criteria for FMS, regardless of the final diagnosis previously made by the pain therapist. Results: Among the 280 patients who adhered to the 2016 ACR questionnaire, 20.3% displayed positive criteria for FMS diagnosis. The level of agreement between the FMS discharge diagnosis made by the pain clinician and the ACR 2016 criteria-positivity was moderate (kappa = 0.599, with moderate agreement set at a kappa value of 0.6). Only four patients (1.7%) diagnosed as suffering from FMS at discharge did not satisfy the minimal 2016 ACR diagnostic criteria. Conclusions: This prospective observational study confirmed the diagnostic challenge with FMS, as demonstrated by the moderate grade of agreement between the FMS diagnosis at discharge and the positivity for 2016 ACR criteria. In our opinion, the use of widely accepted diagnostic guidelines should be implemented in clinical scenarios and should become a common language among clinicians who evaluate and treat patients reporting widespread pain and FMS-suggestive symptoms. Further methodologically stronger studies will be necessary to validate our observation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Updates on Fibromyalgia Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1260 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Psychophysiological Responses in Fibromyalgia Patients: Evaluating Neuromodulation Alone, Neuromodulation Combined with Virtual Reality, and Exercise Interventions
by Alejandro Rubio-Zarapuz, María Dolores Apolo-Arenas, Pablo Tomas-Carus, José Francisco Tornero-Aguilera, Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez and Jose A. Parraca
Medicina 2024, 60(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60030404 - 27 Feb 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3373
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition, manifests as widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, autonomic and cognitive dysfunction, hypersensitivity to stimuli, and various somatic and psychiatric symptoms. This study, a controlled and randomized experiment, aimed to evaluate and compare the immediate effects [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition, manifests as widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, autonomic and cognitive dysfunction, hypersensitivity to stimuli, and various somatic and psychiatric symptoms. This study, a controlled and randomized experiment, aimed to evaluate and compare the immediate effects of different treatments on fibromyalgia patients. Materials and Methods: The treatments included the EXOPULSE Mollii suit, a combination of the EXOPULSE Mollii suit with a virtual reality (VR) protocol, and a physical exercise regimen. A cohort of 89 female fibromyalgia patients was randomly assigned to one of four groups: Control (n = 20), Suit only (n = 22), Suit combined with VR (n = 21), and Exercise (n = 26). Results: This study found notable differences across the groups in several key parameters. In the Control group, significant changes were observed in Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV 1/FEV 6), the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) at the epicondyle, cortical arousal levels, the 10 m up-and-go test, and in all measured variables related to temperature and muscle oxygenation. For the group using the suit alone, there were significant differences noted in the NRS, the chair stand test, palm temperature, and all muscle oxygenation parameters. The Suit + VR group showed significant changes in the NRS, PPT at the knee, handgrip strength test, the 10 m up-and-go test, one-leg balance test with the right leg, muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2), deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb), and oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb). Finally, the Exercise group exhibited significant differences in FEV 1/FEV 6, chest perimeter difference, NRS, PPT at both the epicondyle and knee, cortical arousal, the chair stand test, the 10-m up-and-go test, and in SmO2, HHb, and O2Hb levels. Conclusions: combining neuromodulation with VR and targeted exercise regimens can effectively alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, offering promising avenues for non-pharmacological management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Updates on Fibromyalgia Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

14 pages, 833 KiB  
Review
Unraveling the Complex Web of Fibromyalgia: A Narrative Review
by Sarah Al Sharie, Scott J. Varga, Lou’i Al-Husinat, Piercarlo Sarzi-Puttini, Mohammad Araydah, Batool Riyad Bal’awi and Giustino Varrassi
Medicina 2024, 60(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60020272 - 4 Feb 2024
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 11631
Abstract
Fibromyalgia is a complex and often misunderstood chronic pain disorder. It is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and heightened sensitivity, and has evolved in diagnostic criteria and understanding over the years. Initially met with skepticism, fibromyalgia is now recognized as a global [...] Read more.
Fibromyalgia is a complex and often misunderstood chronic pain disorder. It is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and heightened sensitivity, and has evolved in diagnostic criteria and understanding over the years. Initially met with skepticism, fibromyalgia is now recognized as a global health concern affecting millions of people, with a prevalence transcending demographic boundaries. The clinical features and diagnosis of fibromyalgia encompass a range of symptoms beyond pain, including sleep disturbances and cognitive difficulties. This study emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive evaluation for accurate diagnosis, considering the shift from tender point reliance to a more holistic approach. Etiology and pathophysiology involve genetic predisposition, neurotransmitter dysregulation, central sensitization, and immune system involvement. Risk factors such as gender, age, family history, and comorbid conditions contribute to susceptibility. The impact on quality of life is profound, affecting physical and social aspects, often accompanied by mood disorders. Management approaches include pharmacological interventions, non-pharmacological therapies, lifestyle modifications, and alternative treatments. This study also delves into emerging research, exploring advances in neurobiological understanding, brain imaging, genetic markers, glutamate modulation, cannabinoids, gut microbiome, and digital health tools for fibromyalgia management. Overall, this study provides a nuanced and up-to-date overview of the complexities surrounding fibromyalgia, aiming to enhance understanding and support for individuals grappling with this challenging condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Updates on Fibromyalgia Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop