ArticleNeuroImage. Clinical2013
Structural alterations in brainstem of fibromyalgia syndrome patients correlate with sensitivity to mechanical pressure.
Article in NeuroImage. Clinical, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Structural and Functional Neuroimaging Findings in Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Role of non-invasive objective markers for the rehabilitative diagnosis of central sensitization in patients with fibromyalgia: A systematic review.Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometric studies of fibromyalgia.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- Gray Matter Atrophy within the Default Mode Network of Fibromyalgia: A Meta-Analysis of Voxel-Based Morphometry Studies.BioMed research international · 2016Pooled it
- Evaluation of the relationship between tension-type headache and masseter muscle thickness in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a cross-sectional ultrasonographic study.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- The Role of Insular Cortex and Prefrontal Cortex in the Pathogenesis of Fibromyalgia: Biochemical and Electrophysiological Rodent Study.Neurochemical research · 2025Article
- Reevaluating fibromyalgia diagnosis: a proposal to integrate deep tendon reflex responses into current criteria.Rheumatology international · 2025Review
- Pineal cyst in bipolar patient with normolithiaemia and positive fibromyalgic tender points.Radiology case reports · 2025Article
- Evidence for spinal disinhibition as a pain-generating mechanism in fibromyalgia syndrome.Pain reports · 2025Article
- Psychological characteristics associated with the brain volume of patients with fibromyalgia.BioPsychoSocial medicine · 2023Article
- Hand size estimates of fibromyalgia patients are associated with clinical and experimental pain.PloS one · 2022Article
- Visual snow syndrome, the spectrum of perceptual disorders, and migraine as a common risk factor: A narrative review.Headache · 2021Review
- Ceftriaxone inhibits stress-induced bladder hyperalgesia and alters cerebral micturition and nociceptive circuits in the rat: A multidisciplinary approach to the study of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome research network study.Neurourology and urodynamics · 2020Article
- Anhedonia to Gentle Touch in Fibromyalgia: Normal Sensory Processing but Abnormal Evaluation.Brain sciences · 2020Article
- Predictive mechanisms linking brain opioids to chronic pain vulnerability and resilience.British journal of pharmacology · 2018Review
- Resting Functional Connectivity of the Periaqueductal Gray Is Associated With Normal Inhibition and Pathological Facilitation in Conditioned Pain Modulation.The journal of pain · 2018Article
- Multifractal Analysis Reveals Decreased Non-linearity and Stronger Anticorrelations in Heart Period Fluctuations of Fibromyalgia Patients.Frontiers in physiology · 2018Article
- Characterization of migraineurs presenting interictal widespread pressure hyperalgesia identified using a tender point count: a cross-sectional study.The journal of headache and pain · 2017Article
- Altered insula-default mode network connectivity in fibromyalgia: a resting-state magnetoencephalographic study.The journal of headache and pain · 2017Article
- The effects of HIV and aging on subcortical shape alterations: A 3D morphometric study.Human brain mapping · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic pain disorder characterised by widespread pain and tenderness in muscles and deep tissues. Current theories regarding the pathophysiological origins of fibromyalgia syndrome point towards central sensitisation and a decreased capacity of descending nociceptive controls. Morphological alterations to subcortical brain regions may contribute to such pathophysiological mechanisms, and to pain and other symptoms seen in fibromyalgia. Therefore, we evaluated geometric differences in subcortical structures in fibromyalgia patients relative to healthy people using a novel method of shape analysis. Sixteen female fibromyalgia patients and 15 age and sex matched, healthy control subjects underwent high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance image scanning. Data was analysed using shape analysis of 15 subcortical regions and standard voxel-based morphometry analysis. Fibromyalgia syndrome patients, relative to healthy control participants, exhibited alterations to the shape of the left lateral aspect of the lower brainstem (medulla). The mean total volume of the brainstem was also found to be significantly reduced in the patient group compared to healthy control subjects, and this brainstem volume reduction in patient group significantly correlated with clinical manual tender point scale scores. Voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed that patients also demonstrated decreased local grey matter volumes in the brainstem (pons) and left precuneus, and increased grey matter volumes in bilateral primary somatosensory cortices. Results suggest that the volume reduction and associated geometric shape alterations seen in the brainstem of the patient group may contribute to sensitivity to pressure pain in fibromyalgia syndrome. This finding may be due to structure-related deficiencies in regions subserving descending nociceptive control.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.