title: Fibromyalgia subgroups: profiling distinct subgroups using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. A preliminary study.
abstract: The main goal of this project was to identify the presence of fibromyalgia (FM) subgroups using a simple and frequently used clinical tool, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). A total of 61 women diagnosed with FM participated in this study. FM subgroups were created by applying a hierarchical cluster analysis on selected items of the FIQ (pain, fatigue, morning tiredness, stiffness, anxiety and depressive symptoms). We also tested for group differences on experimental pain, psychosocial functioning and demographic characteristics. Two cluster profiles best fit our data. FM-Type I was characterized by the lowest levels of anxiety, depressive and morning tiredness symptoms, while FM-Type II was characterized by elevated levels of pain, fatigue, morning tiredness, stiffness, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Both FM subgroups showed hyperalgesic responses to experimental pain. These results suggest that pain and stiffness are universal symptoms of the disorder but that psychological distress is a feature present only in some patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Axe Douleur CRC-CHUS, 3001, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. juliana.barcellos.de.souza@usherbrooke.ca
authors.forename: Juliana Barcellos
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goffaux
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potvin
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charest
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires