Several studies have now confirmed that fibromyalgia is less likely a rheumatoid or muscular disorder and more likely a neurological disorder. Unfortunately, these studies aren’t getting us a faster diagnosis or (more importantly) better treatment options.
Neuroimaging is pretty neat. It actually allows researchers to see activity in the brain as it corresponds to various stimuli – this could be emotions, images, or even pain.
The great thing about functional neuroimaging is that there is no arguing with it or debating whether or not the pain is real. It shows up on the imaging. The problem with neuroimaging is that it’s expensive. Especially in the case of fMRI it’s cost-prohibitive to be used as a diagnostic tool.
A 2010 study used fMRI scans to compare the brain activity at rest in those with fibromyalgia versus those without. Fibromyalgia patients showed a range of pain severity (as would be expected) and it was found that those with more pain showed a higher level of connectivity between different portions of the brain.
Basically, it seems that those suffering from fibromyalgia have a higher level of connectivity between between the default mode network (DMN) and the right executive attention network (EAN). The DMN is involved in thoughts about oneself and the EAN is involved in memory and attention.
“This work shows there is increased connectivity between different brain centers that connect the purely sensory pain processing centers of the brain with some of the emotional and evaluative parts of the brain, or areas of the brain that take a sensory stimulus and say, “How do I interpret this? How do I feel about this’?” Mease said.
If I understand this correctly, what they are saying is that those of us with Fibro have more active brains when we are at rest. This may explain why it is harder for us to sleep, as well as why we feel more pain.
When our brains should be resting they are still up processing various pains that they should be able to ignore.
Since this study in 2010 many more have been completed and continue to find that pain processing is not only visible in brain scans but that it takes part over multiple regions of the brain.
Many studies point to pain processing pathways, specifically those involved in inhibiting pain.
Related:
- Symptoms & signs of fibromyalgia
- Researchers find neurological signature for fibromyalgia
- Generalized hyper-vigilance and fibromyalgia
- Does fibromyalgia increase risk of stroke?
References:
Napadow, V., LaCount, L., Park, K., As‐Sanie, S., Clauw, D. J., & Harris, R. E. (2010). Intrinsic brain connectivity in fibromyalgia is associated with chronic pain intensity. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 62(8), 2545-2555.
Pamfil, C., & Choy, E. H. S. (2018). Functional MRI in rheumatic diseases with a focus on fibromyalgia. Clinical and experimental rheumatology, 36(5), 82-85.
Deborah Lee says
This may also explain why a major trauma can be something which is identified just prior to symptoms appearing.
Bonnie Brown says
I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 1975. Fibro in 1997. I always thought these two issues were somehow connected. In 2017 I was put on Ritalin for dyslexia. Surprisingly after a week on the Ritalin my fibro symptoms began to lessen. After 3 years I know that the Ritalin is the answer to the pain of fibro. I believe the connection lies in the pittuatary.The Ritalin makes a connection in the brain by replacing a missing chemical. The Ritalin helps with the dyslexia by making the same connection in the brain. My prescription for Ritalin has been the same dose of 20 mg. a day. No increases and the exact same results. Amazing.
I haven’t read any studies of the use of amphetamines for the fibro.
Julie says
I’m so glad you found a good answer for you. It’s one of the things that can work for some people, unfortunately not all. It’s one of many meds I tried early on and it did not help, but actually made things worse for me, making me jittery and tense and thus making the pain worse. That’s the hard part about fibromyalgia is that while are symptoms are similar we are all unique and there is no one size fits all answer.
Suzann Baldwin says
Hello: I have fibro and have figured out on my own that it is a neurological disorder: Below is some basic research that bears it out. The symptoms listed are severe, but fibro is a less severe version of these same symptoms. I would love this research to be reviewed, especially the part about seratonin levels.
Autonomic systems {The autonomic system is the part of the peripheral nervous system that is responsible for regulating involuntary body functions, such as heartbeat, blood flow, breathing, and digestion.} {The somatic nervous system (SNS or voluntary nervous system) is the part of the peripheral nervous system associated with the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system consists of afferent nerves or sensory nerves, and efferent nerves or motor nerves.}
Autonomic hyperactivity is a life-threatening manifestation of many disorders affecting the central or peripheral nervous systems. … Less commonly, autonomic hyperactivity also involves the parasympathetic system and manifests primarily with bradyarrhythmia Signs and symptoms of nervous system disorders
• Persistent or sudden onset of a headache.
• A headache that changes or is different.
• Loss of feeling or tingling.
• Weakness or loss of muscle strength.
• Loss of sight or double vision. *
• Memory loss.
• Impaired mental ability.
• Lack of coordination.or even syncope.
Common causes of autonomic hyperactivity are head trauma, hypoxic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, autonomic dysreflexia in spinal cord injury, Guillain-Barré syndrome,and iatrogenic disorders such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome and serotonin syndrome.Autonomic hyperactivity in the setting of cognitive, psychiatric or sleep disturbances suggests alcohol (or other depressant drug) withdrawal, fatal insomnia, or limbic encephalitis. Patients with autonomic hyperactivity should be managed in an intensive care unit as they require continuous monitoring of cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, respiration, and fluid balance.
Linda says
I have fibromyalgia and my daughter has epilepsy. We have noticed over the years that things that can be triggers for her having a seizure are also things that can be a trigger for a fibro flare-up for me.
*When we are hungry and don’t eat *If we drink too much caffeine *If we get too worn out. *Flashing lights
*Stress, just to name a few.
She is exhausted after a seizure and needs to sleep. A flare-up can put me down for a couple of days.
I have thought for some time that there had to be some connection with these two conditions.
Julie says
There is a lot of overlap with fibro and epilepsy, and some with fibro have seizures as well. Even to the point where some studies have looked at the connection between fibro and seizures.