Autonomic nervous system derangement in fibromyalgia syndrome and related disorders.
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic, painful musculoskeletal disorder of unknown etiology and/or pathophysiology. During the last decade many studies have suggested autonomic nervous system involvement in this syndrome, although contradictory results have been reported. This review focuses on studies of the autonomic nervous system in fibromyalgia syndrome and related disorders, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome on the one hand and anxiety disorder on the other, and highlights techniques of dynamic assessment of heart rate variability. It raises the potentially important prognostic implications of protracted autonomic dysfunction in patient populations with fibromyalgia and related disorders, especially for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Cohen
H
H
Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. hagitc@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Neumann
L
L
Kotler
M
M
Buskila
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male