Autonomic Dysfunction In Fibromyalgia And Cfs

[Noreen]

Autonomic Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia Assessed by the Composite Autonomic Symptoms Scale (COMPASS) ? Source: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, Mar 31, 2009

by Carla Solana, MD, et al.

April 9, 2009

[Note: The COMPASS questionnaire, developed by Mayo Clinic neurologists, includes 169 items covering different aspects of autonomic symptoms (problems with regulation of unconscious body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, etc.). Responses are weighted to produce a composite score.]

Background: It has been suggested that autonomic nervous system dysfunction may explain all of fibromyalgia (FM) multisystem features. Such proposal is based mostly on the results of diverse heart rate variability analyses.

The Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale (COMPASS) is a different validated method to recognize dysautonomia.

Objectives:

? The main objective of our study was to investigate symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in FM patients by means of COMPASS.

? A secondary objective was to define whether there is a correlation between COMPASS and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores in FM patients.

Methods: Design, analytical cross-sectional study. Our study population included 3 different groups of women:

? 30 patients with FM,

? 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis,

? And 30 women who considered themselves healthy.

All participants filled out COMPASS and FIQ questionnaires.

Results:

? FM patients had significantly higher values in all COMPASS domains. COMPASS total score (54.6 +/- 20.9; mean +/- standard deviation) clearly differentiated FM patients from the other 2 groups (21.6 +/- 16.5 and 9.5 +/- 10.2, respectively). P < 0.0001. [Probability that score resulted by chance less than one in 10,000.]

? The majority of FM patients gave affirmative answers to questions related to orthostatic, digestive, sleep, sudomotor [sweat gland stimulation], or mucosal dysfunction. There was a significant correlation between COMPASS and FIQ scores (Spearman r = 0.5, P < 0.005).

Conclusions:

? Patients with FM have multiple nonpain symptoms related to different expressions of autonomic dysfunction.

? There is a correlation between a questionnaire that measures FM severity (FIQ) and an autonomic dysfunction questionnaire (COMPASS).

? Such correlation suggests that autonomic dysfunction is inherent to FM.

Source: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, Mar 31, 2009. 15(2), PMID: 19342959, by Solano C, Martinez A, Becerril L, Vargas A, Figueroa J, Navarro C, Ramos-Remus C, Martinez-Lavin M. National Institute of Cardiology, Mexico City, Mexico; National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico; Hospital General Regional 45, Guadalajara, Mexico.

FOR CFS info here's the URL - Autonomic dysfunction in CFS

[summer]

Thanks for posting this. I can't get to the CFS article through the link, but I assume the conclusions are similar are they?

[Noreen]

Thanks for posting this. I can't get to the CFS article through the link, but I assume the conclusions are similar are they?

Summer-

sorry about that.

Yes, the conclusions are the same - percentages vary slightly. If I can determine what I did wrong, I will correct the link.

Noreen

from my history page, here's the CFS link

http://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/proj.../autonomic.html

[potsgirl]

Hi Reen~

Thanks for posting this. There are several other studies going on regarding CFS now, too. I'll try to post the links. I'm currently looking into CFS/Fibro as a diagnosis along with my OI. I know that they can be linked, and these are newer symptoms for me...Thanks again for spreading the word.

Cheers~

Jana

[juliegee]

Yes, the conclusions are the same - percentages vary slightly. If I can determine what I did wrong, I will correct the link.

from my history page, here's the CFS link

http://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/proj.../autonomic.html

Noreen-

Just wanted to add that my son's ped (Peter Rowe) was among the first to make the correlation between autonomic dysfunction and CFS here in the US in the early 90's. The correlation is undeniable and has subsequently vastly improved CFS treatment.

Julie

[Noreen]

Yes, the conclusions are the same - percentages vary slightly. If I can determine what I did wrong, I will correct the link.

from my history page, here's the CFS link

http://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/proj.../autonomic.html

Noreen-

Just wanted to add that my son's ped (Peter Rowe) was among the first to make the correlation between autonomic dysfunction and CFS here in the US in the early 90's. The correlation is undeniable and has subsequently vastly improved CFS treatment.

Julie

Julie-

Your son is fortunate to have Dr. Rowe as his physician but even more so to have you as his mom.

{hugs}

Noreen