Researchers Find Neurological Signature for Fibromyalgia
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to look at the brains of those of us with Fibromyalgia and see that we are different? Well, it seems (again and again) that there just might be.
There have been a few studies now that have shown specific differences in how brains of those of us with Fibromyalgia process things when compared to healthy people.
I wrote about a study a couple of years ago that showed a difference in our brains when using working memory. A 2014 study by Maria Lopez-Sola et al shows that those of us with Fibromyalgia also have different brain responses to non-painful stimuli.
The fact that Fibromyalgia patients are hyper-sensitive is nothing new. We are more likely to feel pain when pain shouldn’t be there. A gentle hug, or even sheets rubbing against our legs can result in pain.
Studies have shown that it’s not all in our heads, it’s in our nerves and the way that they process pain. We are also more likely to be sensitive to temperature, lights, noise, and even smell.
Finding the Neurological Signature for Pain
The 2014 study by López-Solà et al. compared how the brain processes non-painful stimuli (auditory, visual, & touch) in both Fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls.
35 Fibromyalgia patients and 25 healthy controls participated.
Participants were alternated in 30 second blocks between rest and stimulation. Stimulation consisted of simultaneous visual (flashing checkerboard), auditory (series of 15 tones), and a tactile task where the participant was asked to touch the tip of their right thumb to the other fingers. fMRI scans of the brain were completed during rest and stimulation.
Overall, Fibromyalgia patients showed increased brain responses to the stimuli.
In 2016, Dr. Lopez-Sola and colleagues followed up with something even better.
Building off of that 2014 study they compared brain response to both painful and non-painful stimuli in 37 Fibromyalgia patients matched with 35 healthy people. What they found was a definitive signature that they’ve stated can differentiate the Fibromyalgia brain with 93% accuracy.
It’s amazing what computers can do these days. They used machine-learning techniques to identify a brain-based Fibromyalgia “signature”.
Obviously, this is just the beginning as they will need to expand this study to a wider group of people. This will likely never be used to diagnose fibromyalgia simply due to cost.
Standard MRIs simply look at the structure of the brain while fMRI looks at the function (which parts of the brain are used for different things). While MRIs are widely used, fMRI is still not very widely used and seems to be used more for research than for actual diagnostics (outside of stroke, alzheimer, and brain tumor patients).
Hopefully, perhaps in time as more value is seen in fMRI we will see that expand and see it become a widely used diagnostic tool.
Even if we haven’t reached the point yet where fMRI can be used to diagnose fibromyalgia we have reached a point where study after study shows that Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder.
Fibromyalgia brains simply process stimuli differently than the brains of healthy people.
Study after study proves that Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder Share on X
Related:
- Altered brain activity related to fibro fog
- Effects of stress and relaxation on fibromyalgia
- The vagus nerve hypothesis for fibromyalgia and CFS
- Fibromyalgia as a nerve disorder
Sources:
López‐Solà, M., Pujol, J., Wager, T. D., Garcia‐Fontanals, A., Blanco‐Hinojo, L., Garcia‐Blanco, S., … & Garcia‐Fructuoso, F. (2014). Altered functional magnetic resonance imaging responses to nonpainful sensory stimulation in fibromyalgia patients. Arthritis & rheumatology, 66(11), 3200-3209.
López-Solà, M., Woo, C. W., Pujol, J., Deus, J., Harrison, B. J., Monfort, J., & Wager, T. D. (2016). Towards a neurophysiological signature for fibromyalgia. Pain.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.38781/full
Kelly says
I had several head injuries on the right side in the last 10 years span any studies causing this to be connected
Ellen says
I came across this article. Updated 2016. It seems the information is still valid and there has been no progress There is no new information to require updating the past 7 years. It speaks volumes as to how much real research is being done for fibro. It is saddening. I know the symptoms having had it since 2003. What we really need is more facts.
Thank you for caring
I am sorry for your pain.
Julie says
To be honest I haven’t dug into this particular topic in a while so I’m not sure if there have been any updates. However, after getting connected to a new rheumatologist (who is great), I doubt it as the treatment options and info she had were pretty much identical to everything I had found a decade ago.
Cindy Curtis says
I found fibro people are and have been thrown into the lowest level of people there is. we have been accused of seeking pain pills for no grounded reason. sad they have thrown everyone together and classified our pain as being the same in everyone. My life has been turned upside down because a fibro creature is eating me from the inside out. Then the doctor tells you to use things that he knows very well is not going to work. on top of that I have a severe bleeding problem and am never suppose to have nsaids well guess what the doctor has me on exactly that.. the bleeding is out of control but I take them anyway because I can’t take the pain. sad sad sad.
Ann says
Do you need to have a mri for a diagnosis, I have a pacmack and can not have one done?
Julie says
No, generally an MRI is not used in diagnosing fibromyalgia (other than to potentially rule out other issues – like MS). You can read more about how fibromyalgia is diagnosed here.
Misti says
I would love to have one done. I have no insurance so it’s not possible. I suffer with it more days than none. I have VERY bad nerves and depression takes over my life. I do not go places because I fear how I will feel. I feel like my family thinks I’m not mature and I’m selfish. I have not shown up because of the way I feel. It’s not a fun place to be. I’m usually very happy and very outgoing. I love being around people and laughing
Julie says
At this point these types of MRIs for fibromyalgia diagnosis are just experimental. Unless you are seeing a neurologist for other issues you aren’t likely to be recommended for one (even if you have insurance to pay for it – even then it can be a bear to get insurance to approve it because it’s so expensive). My mom is going through this right now for another issue. She needs and MRI but the insurance won’t approve it. So frustrating.
LEANN says
This is a real disease and I am so sick and tired of doctors sending you home with no diagnosis making you feel like you are not someone of importance in in need. This is a serious painful disease I am also dealing with a diagnosis of cancer in 2014 !! I have read lots on fibromyalgia and I do have almost all the symptoms as a person living alone you have to deal with those every day of your life because there is no one there to make it better. People spend millions of dollars on cancer research don’t understand why there can’t be a foundation for fibromyalgia and all us that suffer why can’t we get funding I have both so trust me I’m sure I’m not the only one in this need of help. Also want to make note when I did have the cluster migraines found out I had Mercer and internal infection that was causing those headaches disability was off the charts so may want to get checked out to see if you had an internal infection doctors don’t normally catch that had to be in the hospital twice before they found that in my blood work up I was in serious trouble with my healthYet again ,,FYI who has answers??
Nyk Kelly says
LeAnn, hey….I’ve noticed that when an actor, athlete, politician gets a disease, they bring that disease or condition to the limelight. Now, Idon’t know WHEN you were diagnosed, but I was CONVINCED that no one in Hollywood or anywhere else who was famous would EVER get fibro. They knew SO little! NOTHING on the internet, and MAYBE a handful of books.
Fast forward to today.
Lady Gaga has it and speaks out about it!!! Yeah!! I was never really into her sound, but what a BEAUTIFUL thing to use your stature to talk about this crappy disease!!
I’m grateful for the little things…♡
Christine says
I am very grateful for lady gaga. For showing people our pain is real and we’re not crazy.
Monica says
Regarding your source – López‐Solà, M., Pujol, J., Wager, T. D., Garcia‐Fontanals, A., Blanco‐Hinojo, L., Garcia‐Blanco, S., … & Garcia‐Fructuoso, F. (2014). Altered functional magnetic resonance imaging responses to nonpainful sensory stimulation in fibromyalgia patients. Arthritis & rheumatology, 66(11), 3200-3209.
The authors do not refer to the fMRI findings as a neurological signature for fibromyalgia. On page 3, the authors state “Together, these studies suggest that potential alteration in non-nociceptive sensory processing in FM patients may provide important clues about the underlying pathophysiology and mechanisms of response to treatment.” Then, on page 8, the authors explain that “For both groups, robust activation was observed in primary/secondary auditory cortices, middle temporal gyri, hippocampi, occipital gyri, and cerebellum, primary and secondary somatosensory cortices extending to insular/opercular cortex, and basal ganglia….Compared with healthy controls, the FM group showed reduced task-related activation in primary/secondary auditory cortices, middle temporal gyri, hippocampi, ventral basal ganglia, and inferior occipital gyri (very specifically, BA17 and parts of BA18) extending to the bilateral cerebellum (Table 2 and Figure 1C).”
The authors clearly identify brain areas of import. They do not use the term “neurological.” Furthermore, the pain in fibro is not due to nerves but results from central sensitization, that is dysfunction in the ascending pain pathways (amplified) and descending pain pathways (fail to block low threshold pain). It is odd to me how you post so much and yet seem to have a limited understanding of the complex nature of fibro. Perhaps, you could explore Daniel Clauw, MD and Sean Mackey, MD.