The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Fibromyalgia syndrome, a problem of tautology
Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome is generally taken to denote a clinical state of widespread musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and fatigue but its pathophysiology, physical and psychological, is unknown, and the nature of the diagnostically mandatory "tender points" remains obscure. Diagnostic criteria convey no pathophysiological insight and they have been "validated" via a circular argument in which the evidence on which the construct is based is taken as proof of its veracity. The concept of fibromyalgia syndrome is valid only in the sense that it includes all possibilities. An alternative approach to this very real clinical presentation is via secondary hyperalgesia.
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In the citing paper
“The ACR classification criteria, rightly criticized for circularity (16), created a de facto case definition by imposing the 11 tender point rules on top of a crude definition of widespread pain (17).”
From The American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and Measurement of Symptom Severity (2010) · cites this paper as [16]
Citations
Cites
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Problems of Spectrum and Bias in Evaluating the Efficacy of Diagnostic Tests
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Wolfe, F., Clauw, D. J., Fitzcharles, M., Goldenberg, D. L., Katz, R. S., Mease, P., Russell, A. S., Russell, I. J., Winfield, J. B., & Yunus, M. B. (2010) · Arthritis Care & Research · doi:10.1002/acr.20140 · Cited by 3,952
Wolfe, F., Brähler, E., Hinz, A., & Häuser, W. (2013) · Arthritis Care & Research · doi:10.1002/acr.21931 · Cited by 443
Sensory dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients with implications for pathogenic mechanisms
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Population study of tender point counts and pain as evidence of fibromyalgia
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Understanding fibromyalgia: lessons from the broader pain research community.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cohen, M. L., & Quintner, J. L.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- St John of God Health Care (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Cohen, M.L
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1993-10
- Volume
- 342
- Issue
- 8876
- Pages
- 906-909
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- OpenAlex
- W2047444795
- Cited by
- 138
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 7.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Myofascial pain diagnosis and treatment
- Keywords
- fibromyalgia, tautology, diagnostic criteria, tender points, pathophysiology, secondary hyperalgesia, chronic widespread pain, fatigue, circular argument, construct validity
- MeSH terms
- Fibromyalgia, Humans, Pain Measurement, Sensitivity and Specificity, Syndrome
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