Fibromyalgia may affect sensory perception and blunt touch perception, studies show

Fibromyalgia affects sensory perception and blunts touch perception. The findings of the study reveal that there is abnormal processing of signals in C-type skin nerves (associated with the perception of touch) in fibromyalgia.

The researchers from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health looked into whether fibromyalgia patients rated the perception of touch differently than healthy individuals. The study also looked into the opioid signaling in fibromyalgia.

Previous research has found that fibromyalgia sufferers have a smaller count of opioid receptors in the brain, which aid in pain signaling and mediate feelings of reward to natural behaviors.

The study enrolled 24 fibromyalgia patients and 28 healthy controls. The researchers used slow or fast moving brushes along the participants’ forearms to explore the effects of perception. Participants were asked to rate pleasure and intensity of the strokes.

Normal controls rated slow brush strokes as more pleasurable but less intense. This is an expected result, as the C-type nerves are better activated by a slow touch. Fibromyalgia patients, on the other hand, rated both fast and slow brush strokes as equally pleasurable and intense.

Then, participants received either a drug that blocks opioid receptors or the placebo. Under the influence of the drug, the healthy controls rated both slow and fast touch to be slightly more pleasurable, but the fibromyalgia patients did not notice any change, but rated both fast and slow brush strokes as less intense compared to those individuals on a placebo.

The results indicate the fibromyalgia patients have abnormal touch processing and altered opioid signaling. Additional research is required to determine if these findings may help uncover the underlying cause of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia and its impact on sensory perception

In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, 31 fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls were exposed to arbitrary sound and pressure stimuli.

Fibromyalgia patients demonstrated a heightened perception of auditory tones as well as oversensitive response to pressure stimuli, suggesting that the cause may be an identical physiological mechanism. When asked to describe intensity of the auditory sounds, the fibromyalgia patients consistently perceived the sounds to be more intense, compared to the controls.

In researchers’ view, the findings reveal a deficit in sensory processing in fibromyalgia patients. Additional research is required to better understand the exact mechanism behind the malfunctioning reaction to sound and touch in fibromyalgia patients.

Related Reading:

Fibromyalgia pain levels can be predicted by leptin, study

Fibromyalgia pain levels can be predicted by leptin, according to research. Fibromyalgia is a condition with many diverse symptoms, the most common being widespread pain. Associated differing biological variables include elevated sedimentation rate (ESR), cytokine profile, and hormone levels. Diagnosing fibromyalgia is a challenge as there are no known biomarkers a patient can be tested for. For the study, researchers used the Vectra®DA, a multi-biomarker disease activity score, to measure serum biomarkers in patients with fibromyalgia and elevated inflammatory markers. Continue reading…

In fibromyalgia patients, music therapy can reduce pain, depression, anxiety, and improve sleep

In fibromyalgia patients, music therapy can reduce pain, depression, and anxiety, and improve sleep. The findings come from researchers at the University of Granada who found that music therapy combined with relaxation techniques can help improve many areas in the lives of fibromyalgia patients. With improved depression, anxiety, and sleep, and reduced pain, a patient’s quality of life can greatly improve as well. Continue reading…

Sources:
http://fibromyalgianewstoday.com/2016/03/31/fibromyalgia-patients-have-blunted-touch-perception-study-finds/
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/sensory-perception-and-fibromyalgia.html