Observational studyPloS one2022
Hyper-connectivity between the left motor cortex and prefrontal cortex is associated with the severity of dysfunction of the descending pain modulatory system in fibromyalgia.
Observational study in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation vs Placebo for Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Brain dysconnectivity patterns associated with chronic back pain development.Brain informatics · 2026Article
- Resting-state brain network alterations in spinal cord injury patients: an fNIRS study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Conditioned pain modulation, cortical imbalance, and arthrogenic muscle inhibition: an integrative model with implications for exercise in chronic pain.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Quantitative Sensory Testing in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Scoping Review.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Current source density and functional connectivity extracted from resting-state electroencephalography as biomarkers for chronic low back pain.Pain reports · 2025Article
- Healing synchrony? potential benefits of interpersonal synchrony for chronic pain management.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Impact of Obesity as a Peripheral Disruptor of Brain Inhibitory Mechanisms in Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Effects of Repetitive-Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: An Umbrella and Mapping Review.Brain sciences · 2023Review
- Pain and the emotional brain: pain-related cortical processes are better reflected by affective evaluation than by cognitive evaluation.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- High-beta oscillations at EEG resting state and hyperconnectivity of pain circuitry in fibromyalgia: an exploratory cross-sectional study.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Article
- Editorial: Bench to Bedside - the translation of intracortical inhibition marker to clinical practice.Principles and practice of clinical research (2015) · 2022Article
- Functional connectivity response to acute pain assessed by fNIRS is associated with BDNF genotype in fibromyalgia: an exploratory study.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Motor cortex inhibition as a fibromyalgia biomarker: a meta-analysis of transcranial magnetic stimulation studies.Brain network and modulationArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe association between descending pain modulatory system (DPMS) dysfunction and fibromyalgia has been previously described, but more studies are required on its relationship with aberrant functional connectivity (FC) between the motor and prefrontal cortices.
objectivesThe objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to compare the intra- and interhemispheric FC between the bilateral motor and prefrontal cortices in women with fibromyalgia, comparing responders and nonresponders to the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) test.
methodsA cross-sectional sample of 37 women (23 responders and 14 nonresponders to the CPM test) with fibromyalgia diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria underwent a standardized clinical assessment and an FC analysis using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. DPMS function was inferred through responses to the CPM test, which were induced by hand immersion in cold water (0-1°C). A multivariate analysis of covariance for main effects between responders and nonresponders was conducted using the diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders and the use of opioid and nonopioid analgesics as covariates. In addition, we analyzed the interaction between the CPM test response and the presence of multiple psychiatric diagnoses.
resultsNonresponders showed increased FC between the left motor cortex (lMC) and the left prefrontal cortex (lPFC) (t = -2.476, p = 0.01) and right prefrontal cortex (rPFC) (t = -2.363, p = 0.02), even when both were considered as covariates in the regression analysis (lMC-lPFC: β = -0.127, t = -2.425, p = 0.021; lMC-rPFC: β = -0.122, t = -2.222, p = 0.033). Regarding main effects, a significant difference was only observed for lMC-lPFC (p = 0.035). A significant interaction was observed between the psychiatric disorders and nonresponse to the CPM test in lMC-lPFC (β = -0.222, t = -2.275, p = 0.03) and lMC-rPFC (β = -0.211, t = -2.2, p = 0.035). Additionally, a significant interaction was observed between the CPM test and FC in these two region-of-interest combinations, despite the psychiatric diagnoses (lMC-lPFC: β = -0.516, t = -2.447, p = 0.02; lMC-rPFC: β = -0.582, t = -2.805, p = 0.008).
conclusionsHigher FC between the lMC and the bilateral PFC may be a neural marker of DPMS dysfunction in women with fibromyalgia, although its interplay with psychiatric diagnoses also seems to influence this association.
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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.