The Rheumatologist
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
  • Technology
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • Events
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
    • From the College
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Arthritis & Rheumatology
    • Arthritis Care & Research
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Research Reviews
    • Annual Meeting
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
    • Rheumatology Image Bank
    • ACR ExamRheum
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Small Fiber Function May Be Linked to Fibromyalgia

Small Fiber Function May Be Linked to Fibromyalgia

June 13, 2013 • By Kurt Ullman

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Although fibromyalgia is clinically well characterized, the specific pathology has not yet been clarified. A recent study from Germany, appearing in the March 9 issue of Brain, suggests that impaired small fiber function may be related to the pain of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).1

You Might Also Like
  • Progress Made in Search for a Fibromyalgia Biomarker
  • How Depression Affects the Cognitive Profile of Fibromyalgia Patients
  • Fibromyalgia Pain Associated with Changes in Brain Connectivity
Also By This Author
  • Chronic Pain: The Psychiatric Perspective

“In the last few years, there were hints of a possible involvement of the small nerve fibers in the pathology of FMS,” says lead author Nurcan Üçeyler, MD, from the department of neurology at the University of Würzburg. “Our group is specialized on small fiber assessment and we set out to systematically investigate this hypothesis.”

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The researchers prospectively enrolled 25 patients with FMS into their case-control study. They examined small fiber function by quantitative sensory testing and pain-related evoked potentials. They obtained intraepidermal nerve fiber density and regenerating intraepidermal nerve fibers from skin-punch biopsies that were obtained from the lower leg and upper thigh. These were compared with age- and gender-matched controls with a diagnosis of unipolar depression without pain (n=10) and a group of healthy individuals.

Results Show Differences

Those with a diagnosis of FMS had increased scores in neuropathic pain questionnaires compared with both depression and control subjects (P<0.001 each). When compared to controls, FMS patients, but not those who were depressed, had impaired small fiber function with increased warm and cold detection thresholds (P<0.001). Pain-related evoked-potential testing found increased N1 latencies when the feet were stimulated (P<0.001) and reduced amplitudes of pain-related evoked potentials at the face, hands, and feet (P<0.001) versus both control and depressed participants.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Skin biopsy results told a similar tale. Total (P<0.001) and regenerating intraepidermal nerve fibers (P<0.01) at the lower leg and upper thigh were reduced in those with FMS compared to controls. There was also a reduction noted in unmyelinated nerve fiber bundles when compared to both healthy controls and those with a diagnosis of depression.

“Using three different but complementary methods, we showed for the first time that small fiber function and morphology is impaired in patients with FMS compared to patients with depression and healthy controls,” says Dr. Üçeyler. “In light of our findings, a new discussion is needed to see if FMS can now be classified as a neuropathic pain syndrome and accepted as a disease. Researchers now have a trace to follow in order to find the reason for small fiber damage and hopefully new ways to treat pain in FMS.”

The research was supported by intramural funds from the University of Würzburg.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions, Research Reviews, Soft Tissue Pain Tagged With: Fibromyalgia, Neurology, Pain, small fiber

You Might Also Like:
  • Progress Made in Search for a Fibromyalgia Biomarker
  • How Depression Affects the Cognitive Profile of Fibromyalgia Patients
  • Fibromyalgia Pain Associated with Changes in Brain Connectivity
  • Pain Response to Low Intensity Pressure Tied to Cognitive Deficits in Fibromyalgia

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

ACR/ARP Annual Meeting

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Annual Meeting site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2019 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.