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Updated: Dec 5, 2025

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Polymorphisms of the μ-opioid receptor gene influence cerebral pain processing in fibromyalgia

Isabel Ellerbrock1,2, Angelica Sandström1,2, Jeanette Tour1,2

  • 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|October 16, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Genetic variations in the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) influence brain activity in fibromyalgia patients. OPRM1 G-allele carriers show altered pain processing and connectivity in fronto-parietal networks.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • μ-opioid receptor (MOR) dysregulation is implicated in fibromyalgia (FM) pain.
  • The functional genetic polymorphism rs1799971 in the OPRM1 gene may influence FM symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of the OPRM1 rs1799971 polymorphism on FM symptom severity, pain sensitivity, and brain pain processing.
  • To compare these effects between FM patients and healthy controls (HC).

Main Methods:

  • Assessed symptom severity and pressure pain sensitivity in 70 FM subjects and 35 HC.
  • Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate cerebral pain activation during controlled painful stimuli.

Main Results:

  • FM subjects exhibited higher pain sensitivity; no significant genotype differences in pain sensitivity or ratings were found.
  • G-allele carriers showed increased activation in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precentral gyrus, particularly in FM subjects.
  • G-allele carriers displayed decreased functional connectivity between the PCC/precentral gyrus and the prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

  • The OPRM1 G-allele is associated with altered fronto-parietal network connectivity and increased PCC activation during pain in FM.
  • These findings suggest OPRM1 genotype influences pain modulation via fronto-parietal network alterations, potentially driven by FM-specific effects.

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