Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers
Published on: January 5, 2024
Depressed mood impedes pain treatment response in patients with fibromyalgia
Arnstein Finset1, Sigrid Hørven Wigers, K Gunnar Götestam
1Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. arnstein.finset@basalmed.uio.no
Objective:
To investigate prognostic factors in the course of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) from baseline to post-treatment.
Methods:
Fifty-seven patients with FM were examined in a randomized intervention study. Pre-treatment variables were entered into linear regression analyses: gender, age, duration of disease, allocation to treatment, pain distribution (based on a patient-made drawing), fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressed mood (based on visual analog scores), with pain distribution at treatment completion as the dependent variable.
Results:
Depressed mood at baseline was a significant predictor of sustained widespread pain at treatment completion.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a role for depressed mood as a predictive factor for treatment response.
Related Concept Videos
Analgesia and Pain Management
G-protein Coupled Receptors
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

