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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent syndrome, characterised by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and impaired sleep, that is challenging to diagnose and difficult to treat. The microbiomes of 77 women with FM and that of 79 control participants were compared using 16S rRNA gene amplification and whole-genome sequencing. When comparing FM patients with unrelated controls using differential abundance analysis, significant differences were revealed in several bacterial taxa. Variance in the composition of the microbiomes was explained by FM-related variables more than by any other innate or environmental variable and correlated with clinical indices of FM. In line with observed alteration in butyrate-metabolising species, targeted serum metabolite analysis verified differences in the serum levels of butyrate and propionate in FM patients. Using machine-learning algorithms, the microbiome composition alone allowed for the classification of patients and controls (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve 87.8%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of gut microbiome alteration in nonvisceral pain. This observation paves the way for further studies, elucidating the pathophysiology of FM, developing diagnostic aids and possibly allowing for new treatment modalities to be explored.
Learn More >Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent chronic pain disorder associated with large suffering and substantial societal costs. Pain-related avoidance behaviour and hypervigilance to bodily symptoms are common in FM and contribute in maintaining and exacerbating the disorder. Exposure therapy targeting avoidance behaviours and hypervigilance has shown promise in the treatment of FM. The present study investigated mediators of treatment outcome in exposure therapy for FM. We used data from a randomised trial, where 140 participants were allocated to 10-week internet-delivered exposure therapy or to a waiting-list control condition. The main outcome variable (FM symptoms) and the hypothesized mediators (FM-related avoidance behaviour, mindful non-reactivity and FM-related worry) were measured weekly throughout treatment. Mediation analyses were conducted using linear mixed effects models with bootstrap replication and time-lagged analysis. Results indicated that all three process variables were significant mediators of FM severity. However, in the time-lagged analyses, only FM-related avoidance behaviour displayed a unidirectional relationship over time with FM symptoms, suggesting a causal effect. Thus, results illustrate that changes in avoidance behaviour mediate the outcome of exposure on FM symptoms, which implies that avoidance behaviour is an important treatment target in exposure therapy.
Learn More >Non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) patients present with reduced back extensor muscle endurance which could be explained by the higher fatigability of their lumbar muscles. However, studies investigating lumbar muscle fatigability have shown contradictory findings. Furthermore, none investigated potential asymmetry in lumbar muscle fatigability, despite neuromuscular asymmetry being reported as a risk factor for NSCLBP. The present study's primary purpose was to determine whether NSCLBP patients presented with higher lumbar muscle fatigability and fatigability asymmetry than asymptomatic participants.
Learn More >To investigate changes in whole body pain during urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) flares.
Learn More >Chronic pain is a public health problem associated with opioid misuse. Yet, it is important to understand factors underlying opioid misuse in the context of pain. Alcohol use is one factor to consider given past work documenting use of alcohol to manage pain. However, it is unknown whether alcohol use severity exacerbates the relation between pain and opioid misuse. This study sought to examine relations between pain and prescription opioid misuse and the moderating role of alcohol use severity in two online survey studies of individuals with chronic pain.
Learn More >Intramuscular injection of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) may influence the responsiveness of active chemo-sensitive channels affecting muscle pain sensitivity. This double-blinded crossover study in healthy humans assessed contraction-evoked pain responses and pain sensitivity during acute ischemia in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle before and 24h after five distributed NGF injections (1μg, 4 cm interval) compared with control injections (isotonic-saline).
Learn More >Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) – defined as intermittent or constant pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis of at least 6 months' duration, not occurring exclusively with menstruation or intercourse and not associated with pregnancy – is estimated to affect 6-27% of women worldwide. In the United Kingdom, over 1 million women suffer from CPP, which has been highlighted as a key area of unmet need. Current medical treatments for CPP are often associated with unacceptable side effects. A specific style of acupuncture, the meridian balance method electro-acupuncture (BMEA) and traditional Chinese medicine health consultation (TCM HC (BMEA + TCM HC = BMEA treatment)), may be effective for CPP in women.
Learn More >: To study chronic widespread pain (CWP) over time in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA), and to identify risk factors for development and persistence of CWP. : In this cohort study with baseline and 2.5 year follow-up postal surveys, patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (USpA) (47% women) answered questions regarding pain, and were categorized as no chronic pain (NCP), chronic regional pain (CRP), or CWP. For each risk factor candidate (disease duration, body mass index, smoking, and patient-reported outcome measures), logistic regression analyses with CWP as the main outcome were performed separately, together with a basic model including age, gender, and SpA subgroup. : Altogether, 644 patients could be categorized at both time-points, yielding similar prevalence estimates at baseline and follow-up, although 38% transitioned between pain groups. Risk factors (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval) for development of CWP included more pain regions (1.36; 1.20‒1.53), higher pain intensity (1.35; 1.20‒1.52), worse fatigue (1.25; 1.13‒1.38), and worse global health (1.35; 1.19‒1.54). Persistent CWP was reported by 72%. In addition to factors predicting development of CWP, higher age (1.02; 1.00‒1.04), female gender (1.82; 1.06‒3.10), and anxiety (1.07; 1.00-1.14) also predicted persistence. : The prevalence of CWP remained high over time, but with individual transitions between the pain groups. The development and persistence of CWP were predicted by more pain and worse health, with the addition of female gender and higher age for persistent CWP. Special attention and treatment alternatives for patients with SpA and concomitant CWP are essential in the clinic.
Learn More >This analysis assessed migraine-related burden and treatment decisions in Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study survey respondents who stopped taking acute prescription medications for migraine.
Learn More >This study evaluated suicidality and its risk factors in patients with tension-type headache (TTH). We recruited new patients with TTH who visited general hospitals. We recorded their clinical characteristics and conducted the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for assessment. We also interviewed the patients to identify major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicidality with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus Version 5.0.0 (MINI). The frequency of suicidality was compared between TTH patients and healthy controls. Major risk factors for suicidality were also determined. A total of 332 TTH patients with the same number of healthy controls were recruited from five general hospitals. Suicidality was observed in 82 (24.7%) TTH patients. The frequency of suicidality was significantly higher in patients with TTH than in the controls. Furthermore, the frequency of suicidality was higher in patients with chronic TTH (CTTH) than in the controls. The major risk factors for suicidality were MDD, GAD, a low education level, insomnia, chronicity of TTH, and pericranial tenderness. Suicidal ideation or attempt seems to be a common feature in TTH. Therefore, it is important to identify risk factors related to suicidality in TTH patients, which may help reduce suicidality.
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