Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:33
A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers
Published on: January 5, 2024
Cognitive impairment in fibromyalgia
Paulo Henrique Ferreira Bertolucci1, Fabricio Ferreira de Oliveira
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. bertolucci.paulo@unifesp.br
Current Pain and Headache Reports
|May 28, 2013
Summary
Fibromyalgia significantly impacts cognitive and behavioral functions, potentially causing more disability than pain. Central nervous system changes, particularly in the brain, underlie these fibromyalgia symptoms, with limited biomarkers available.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Cognitive and behavioral impairments are central to fibromyalgia, often exceeding pain-related disability.
- Central nervous system involvement is evident, with functional and structural changes in frontoparietal and limbic cortices observed in fibromyalgia patients.
- Current diagnostic reliance on traditional neuropsychiatric assessment scales and tests highlights the lack of effective clinical biomarkers for fibromyalgia-related cognitive and behavioral disturbances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review common cognitive and behavioral impairments in fibromyalgia.
- To elucidate the pathophysiological basis of these impairments.
- To discuss current therapeutic strategies for managing fibromyalgia-associated cognitive and behavioral dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on fibromyalgia.
- Analysis of neuroimaging findings related to central nervous system alterations.
- Synthesis of information on neuropsychiatric assessment tools and therapeutic options.
Main Results:
- Fibromyalgia is associated with significant cognitive deficits and behavioral changes.
- Neuroimaging studies suggest disruption in frontoparietal and limbic networks.
- Effective biomarkers for quantifying these impairments are currently lacking.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive and behavioral impairments are critical, disabling aspects of fibromyalgia.
- Understanding the central nervous system basis is key to managing fibromyalgia.
- Further research is needed to develop objective biomarkers and improve treatment for fibromyalgia-related cognitive and behavioral issues.
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