Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39670546›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2025

Pain sensitization in fibromyalgia. Cross-sectional associations between quantitative sensory testing of pain sensitization and fibromyalgia disease burden.

Pernille Steen Pettersen, Trond Haugmark, Inger Jorid Berg, Hilde Berner Hammer, Tuhina Neogi, Heidi Zangi, Ida K Haugen, Sella Aarrestad Provan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of pain (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Pernille Steen PettersenCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Trond HaugmarkCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Inger Jorid BergCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Hilde Berner HammerCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Tuhina NeogiChobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Heidi ZangiFaculty of Health, VID Specialized University, Oslo, Norway.
Ida K HaugenCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Sella Aarrestad ProvanCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5442-902X

Funding

Research and Evaluation Support Core Unit (RESCU Core)P30AR072571 · NIAMS · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI Michael Paul Lavalley · 2019 to 2026
$6.9M
NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR072571
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhether fibromyalgia burden is related to measures of sensitization, assessed by quantitative sensory testing (QST), is not clear. We examine the associations between sensitization and fibromyalgia disease burden as measured by the polysymptomatic sistress scale (PDS) and the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) (range 0-100). MATERIALS AND

methodsParticipants were recruited from referrals to a rheumatology outpatient clinic and the fibromyalgia diagnosis was verified by a rheumatologist. They completed the PDS and FIQ and underwent QST of pressure pain threshold (PPT) at five sites, temporal summation (TS), and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) estimated as post-stimuli/pre-stimuli PPT. The associations between QST and disease burden were analysed in linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index.

resultsA total of 78 individuals with clinically verified fibromyalgia (90% women, mean age 40.9 years (SD 7.3)) were recruited. Overall mean PPT was associated with the FIQ total score (β-2.1, 95% CI-4.3, -0.0) and the function component (β-2.1, (-4.3, -0.0)). When examining the associations between PPT at individual sites and fibromyalgia disease severity, PPTs at the distal interphalangeal joint and tibialis anterior muscle were associated with both FIQ total score and the FIQ fatigue component. All associations were weak and insignificant after Bonferroni corrections.

conclusionIn this cohort of individuals with fibromyalgia, sensitization was not significantly associated with self-reported disease burden. Our results point to the multifactorial nature of fibromyalgia disease severity. SIGNIFICANCE: In patients with fibromyalgia, commonly used measures of sensitization do not explain the symptom burden or the functional impact.

Indexed as

FibromyalgiaPain MeasurementPain ThresholdAdultCentral Nervous System SensitizationCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPainSeverity of Illness IndexSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID39670546
PMCPMC11639049

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.