title: Retrosplenial cortical activation in the fibromyalgia syndrome.
abstract: To study the CNS in chronic muscular pain typical of fibromyalgia we compared PET measures of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in eight fibromyalgic patients and controls at rest. Higher rCBF for patients than controls was found bilaterally in the retrosplenial cortex. Lower rCBF for patients than controls were seen in the left frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices. The higher retroplenial rCBF in patients than controls may reflect increased attention towards sub-noxious somatosensory signaling, and agrees with the notion that fibromyalgic pain reflects secondary hyperalgesia. The brain regions with lower rCBF in fibromyalgic patients than controls participate in the normal cognitive processing of pain, which may be dysfunctional in fibromyalgia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Bergen, Sandviken Hospital, N-5035, Bergen, Norway. gustav.wik@psyk.uib.no
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wik
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bragée
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kristianson
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods