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Papadopoulou M, Papapostolou A, Bakola E, et al. Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder. Neurol Sci. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3.
Papadopoulou, M., Papapostolou, A., Bakola, E., Masdrakis, V. G., Moschovos, C., Chroni, E., Tsivgoulis, G., & Michopoulos, I. (2021). Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder. Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3
Papadopoulou, Marianna, et al. "Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder." Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3
Papadopoulou M, Papapostolou A, Bakola E, Masdrakis VG, Moschovos C, Chroni E, Tsivgoulis G, Michopoulos I. Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder. Neurol Sci. 2021 Sep 24; doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3. Epub 2021 Sep 24. PMID: 34557968.
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Neurol Sci. 2021 Sep 24; doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

Neurophysiological and ultrasonographic comparative study of autonomous nervous system in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and generalized anxiety disorder.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology

Marianna Papadopoulou, Apostolos Papapostolou, Eleni Bakola, Vasilios G Masdrakis, Christos Moschovos, Elisabeth Chroni, Georgios Tsivgoulis, Ioannis Michopoulos

Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Attikon University General Hospital, Athens, Greece. [email protected].
  2. Department of Physiotherapy, Laboratory of Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Study of Motion, University of West Attica, 28 Ag. Spyridonos, 12243, Athens, Greece. [email protected].
  3. Private Practice, Athens, Greece.
  4. Second Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Attikon University General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  5. First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  6. Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Rio-Patras, Greece.
  7. Second Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

PMID: 34557968 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05606-3

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) share common clinical features: they both affect women more than men, their diagnosis is based solely on clinical criteria, and some of the symptoms such as anxiety, aches and muscle tension, sleep disorders, and cognitive dysfunction occur in both diseases. For both conditions, an underlying dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been proposed.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate ANS dysfunction in FM and GAD and compare them with controls.

METHODS: Sympathetic skin response (SSR) from palm and sole and cross-sectional area (CSA) of bilateral vagus nerves (VN) were measured in 28 healthy controls, 21 FM patients, and 24 GAD patients.

RESULTS: CSA of VN was significantly smaller in FM patients (right: 1.97 ± 0.74mm

CONCLUSION: This study confirms similar ANS abnormalities in FM and GAD that fairly distinguish them from controls and support the hypothesis of a common pathophysiological substrate underlying both conditions.

© 2021. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.

Keywords: Cross-sectional area; Fibromyalgia; Generalized anxiety disorder; Sympathetic skin response; Vagus nerve

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