Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Methodologies and Advancements of Chronic Pain Management Research
Published on: January 5, 2024
Cognitive dysfunction in fibromyalgia: slow access to the mental lexicon
11 Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL.
Abstract:
Lexical access speed, the time needed for the brain to access the catalogue of words in long-term memory, is assumed to provide a foundation for a broad array of cognitive operations. It was hypothesized that deficits in lexical speed are likely to play a central role in deficiencies in cognitive performance of patients with fibromyalgia, who as a group show deficits in lexical speed. This was tested in a sample of 209 patients with fibromyalgia and in 72 control patients with memory deficits. Participants completed the Stroop word-naming measure of lexical access speed and 12 neurocognitive measures. Deficit in lexical access speed occurred at approximately twice the frequency (48.3% vs 25.0%) in fibromyalgia. The average delay in speed of lexical access was 171 msec. in fibromyalgia and 163 msec. in controls. Those with deficits in lexical access speed displayed deficiencies on 10 of 12 cognitive measures in the fibromyalgia group, and on 8 of 12 cognitive measures in the control group. The premise that lexical access speed is disproportionately present in fibromyalgia and serves as a foundation for a wide array of cognitive operations is supported.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Language and Cognition
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Dementia l: Introduction
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

