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Neurological Sciences
Published in: Neurological Sciences 4/2022

01-04-2022 | Fibromyalgia | Original Article

Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder

Authors: Marianna Papadopoulou, Apostolos Papapostolou, Eleni Bakola, Vasilios G. Masdrakis, Christos Moschovos, Elisabeth Chroni, Georgios Tsivgoulis, Ioannis Michopoulos

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 4/2022

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Abstract

Background

Fibromyalgia (FM) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) share common clinical features: they both affect women more than men, their diagnosis is based solely on clinical criteria, and some of the symptoms such as anxiety, aches and muscle tension, sleep disorders, and cognitive dysfunction occur in both diseases. For both conditions, an underlying dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been proposed.

Objective

The aims of this study were to investigate ANS dysfunction in FM and GAD and compare them with controls.

Methods

Sympathetic skin response (SSR) from palm and sole and cross-sectional area (CSA) of bilateral vagus nerves (VN) were measured in 28 healthy controls, 21 FM patients, and 24 GAD patients.

Results

CSA of VN was significantly smaller in FM patients (right: 1.97 ± 0.74mm2, left: 1.75 ± 0.65 mm2) and GAD patients (right: 2.12 ± 0.97mm2, left: 1.71 ± 0.86 mm2) compared to controls (right: 3.21 ± 0.75 mm2, left: 2.65 ± 1.13 mm2, p < 0.001, but did not differ between the two patient groups. SSR parameters were similar between patients and controls. SSR latency correlated to clinical scales (FM Widespread Pain Index) in the FM group (r = 0.515, p = 0.02 and r = 0.447, p = 0.05) for the upper and lower limbs respectively, but no other correlation between clinical and neurophysiological parameters was identified.

Conclusion

This study confirms similar ANS abnormalities in FM and GAD that fairly distinguish them from controls and support the hypothesis of a common pathophysiological substrate underlying both conditions.
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Metadata
Title
Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder
Authors
Marianna Papadopoulou
Apostolos Papapostolou
Eleni Bakola
Vasilios G. Masdrakis
Christos Moschovos
Elisabeth Chroni
Georgios Tsivgoulis
Ioannis Michopoulos
Publication date
01-04-2022
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Neurological Sciences / Issue 4/2022
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3

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