title: The relationship among psychological and psychophysiological characteristics of fibromyalgia patients.
abstract: This study examined the relationship of psychophysiological response patterns in fibromyalgia with psychological characteristics and comorbid mental disorders. Surface electromyographic data, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and skin conductance levels were recorded continuously during baseline, stress, and relaxation tasks. Cluster analysis revealed 4 subgroups of patients who differed on pain characteristics and cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to pain and stress. The largest group (46.7%) was characterized by elevated blood pressure levels and stress reactivity (a disposition assumed to be a vulnerability factor for the development of diseases) associated with pain, anxiety, physical interference, low activity, and pain behaviors. A second group (41.6%) showed low baseline blood pressure and reactivity, and high activity and stress. A third group (9.2%) displayed high baseline skin conductance level, reactivity, and depression, and a fourth small group (2.5%) displayed elevated baseline electromyographic response and reactivity with high levels of anxiety and depression. These data suggest that unique psychophysiological response patterns are associated with psychological coping and mental disorders in fibromyalgia patients. The identification of the mechanisms that contribute to these group differences will further our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of fibromyalgia and suggest differential treatment strategies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article presents psychological characteristics and comorbidity with mental disorders of psychophysiological subgroups of fibromyalgia patients. This mechanistic analysis will assist scientific identification of systems-based pathways that contribute to autonomic and stress mechanisms that mediate chronic pain. Demonstration of distinct, homogeneous subgroups is an important step towards personalized, mechanism-oriented treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: kati.thieme@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thieme
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Dennis C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.affiliation: Center for Pain Research and Innervation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gracely
authors.affiliation: Center for Pain Research and Innervation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maixner
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Herta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Fibromyalgia; activity; psychological variables; psychophysiology; stress