Cited by 671Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ResearchPain Mechanisms and TreatmentsPain Management and Treatment

Neurobiology of fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain

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Sluka, Kathleen A., Clauw, Daniel J.·2016·Neuroscience

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is the current term for chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain for which no alternative cause can be identified. The underlying mechanisms, in both human and animal studies, for the continued pain in individuals with fibromyalgia will be explored in this review. There is a substantial amount of support for alterations of central nervous system nociceptive processing in people with fibromyalgia, and that psychological factors such as stress can enhance the pain experience. Emerging evidence has begun exploring other potential mechanisms including a peripheral nervous system component to the generation of pain and the role of systemic inflammation. We will explore the data and neurobiology related to the role of the CNS in nociceptive processing, followed by a short review of studies examining potential peripheral nervous system changes and cytokine involvement. We will not only explore the data from human subjects with fibromyalgia but will relate this to findings from animal models of fibromyalgia. We conclude that fibromyalgia and related disorders are heterogenous conditions with a complicated pathobiology with patients falling along a continuum with one end a purely peripherally driven painful condition and the other end of the continuum is when pain is purely centrally driven.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.006

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  • There is wide agreement that fibromyalgia syndrome should be considered a central pain sensitization syndrome.

    “Although it is not clear how these physiologic alterations are generated, there is a wide agreement that FMS should be considered as a CPSS [9,10,11,32,33,34].”

    From Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in central pain sensitization syndromes: A systematic review (2021) · cites this paper as [34]

    The Summary (page unavailable) says there is strong evidence for a central nervous system component in the majority of people with fibromyalgia. It also describes fibromyalgia as heterogeneous, with some people having stronger peripheral than central contributions. This supports a central-sensitization account, but not the unqualified classification of all FMS as a central pain sensitization syndrome or the claim of wide agreement on that classification. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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5 of the 194 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Chen WK Liu IY Chang YT Chen YC Chen CC Yen CT Shin HS Chen CC 2010b Ca(v)3.2 T-type Ca2+ channel-dependent activation of ERK in paraventricular thalamus modulates acid-induced chronic muscle pain J NEUROSCI 30 10360 10368 20685979 PMC6634662
  2. Dawes JM Andersson DA Bennett DLH Bevan S McMahon SB 2013 Inflammatory Mediators and Modulators of Pain Melzack and Wall’s Textbook of Pain 6 McMahon SB 48 Philadelphia Elsevier
  3. Dina OA Levine JD Green PG 2011b Enhanced cytokine-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in skeletal muscle produced by a novel mechanism in rats exposed to unpredictable sound stress Eur J Pain 15 796 800 21419675 PMC3123688
  4. Gregory NS Brito R Fusaro MCGO Sluka KA 2015b ASIC3 is required for development of fatigue-induced hyperalgesia Molecular neurobiology 53 10 PMC4499332 25577172

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Authors
Sluka, K. A., & Clauw, D. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Iowa (US)
  • University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author
Sluka, Kathleen A.
Venue
Neuroscience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-12
Volume
338
Pages
114-129
ISSN
0306-4522 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2415752306
Cited by
671
References
194
Citations by year
2026: 49 · 2025: 68 · 2024: 71 · 2023: 70 · 2022: 96 · 2021: 78 · 2020: 89 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
FWCI
7.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA038261)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (UM1AR063381, R01AR061371)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
Keywords
fibromyalgia, chronic widespread pain, central sensitization, nociceptive processing, central nervous system, psychological stress, peripheral nervous system, systemic inflammation, cytokines
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Spinal Cord, Chronic Pain

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