Progressive visual dysfunction and retinal neurodegeneration in patients with fibromyalgia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Rheumatology

Background:

• The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia (FM) remains poorly understood, with theories suggesting a neurodegenerative component.
• Investigating potential neurodegenerative markers in FM is crucial for understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess longitudinal changes in visual function and macular ganglion cell layer (CGR) in fibromyalgia patients over 5 years.
• To compare these visual parameters between FM patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Ophthalmic evaluation including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color vision tests in 85 FM patients and 41 controls.
• Retinal imaging using Cirrus HD-OCT to measure CGR thickness, with re-evaluation after 5 years.
• Analysis of associations between structural, functional, and disease severity changes.

Main Results:

• Fibromyalgia patients exhibited worsening low contrast visual acuity and color discrimination over 5 years compared to controls.
• A significant decrease in macular ganglion cell layer thickness was observed in FM patients.
• Color vision deficits correlated with CGR thinning, but not with disease severity.

Conclusions:

• Progressive visual dysfunction and CGR loss occur in fibromyalgia patients.
• Cirrus OCT assessment of visual function and CGR thickness may aid in monitoring fibromyalgia progression.