Audiovestibular Dysfunction in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neurology
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread pain and often presents with otologic symptoms.
• The etiology of FMS remains unknown, highlighting the need for further investigation into associated conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and analyze audiovestibular functions in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome.
• To compare the audiological and vestibular test results of FMS patients with those of healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Inclusion of 33 fibromyalgia patients and 33 healthy controls.
• Comprehensive audiological assessment including pure-tone audiometry, multifrequency tympanometry, and transient otoacoustic emissions.
• Evaluation of vestibular function using ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP and cVEMP).

Main Results:

• Fibromyalgia patients exhibited significantly decreased pure-tone hearing thresholds and middle ear resonance frequencies compared to controls.
• Signal-to-noise ratios were significantly lower in FMS patients at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz.
• Vestibular dysfunction was evident, with oVEMP and cVEMP responses unobtainable in a significant proportion of FMS patients.

Conclusions:

• The study findings indicate a clear presence of audiovestibular dysfunction in individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying pathogenesis of these observed audiovestibular deficits in FMS.