title: Attentional focus on subjective interoceptive experience in patients with fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hypervigilance model of pain perception states that patients with fibromyalgia (FM) have an enhanced sensitivity to aversive and non-aversive stimuli. Few studies have focused on enhanced interoceptive sensitivity in FM. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate spontaneous sensations (SPS) in FM.
  
  
  METHODS
  SPS are those tingling, tickly and other kind of sensations usually perceived on the skin during periods of rest and without any external trigger. Therefore, we have investigated SPS by requiring participants to focus attention on each hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen patients with a diagnosis of FM and 18 matched healthy participants had to direct their gaze toward the hand tested for a period of 10s. Subsequently, they had to map and report the intensity, the number and the qualitative properties of sensations arising spontaneously. Finally, participants had to fill out questionnaires assessing cognitive and affective status that may influence the interoceptive sensations feedback.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with FM perceived SPS as significantly more intense than controls did. Additionally, SPS were perceived by the FM group as occupying an overall larger area on the hand than those reported by controls. Importantly, entering scores of pain and catastrophism as covariates produced a relative effect on the feeling of SPS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome of this study supports the generalized hypervigilance model, suggesting that patients with FM have a perceptual style of amplification of non-aversive interoceptive stimulation, modulated by pain and catastrophizing. This is discussed in relationship to interoceptive awareness.
authors.affiliation: Neurology/Neuropsychology CMRR Unit, Hospital Nord, 42270 Saint Priest-en-Jarez, France; Psychology Department, University of Lyon, 69002 Lyon, France; University Lyon 2, Laboratory EMC (EA 3082), 69676 Bron, France. Electronic address: celine.borg@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.affiliation: University Lyon 2, Laboratory EMC (EA 3082), 69676 Bron, France; Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Fannie Carrier
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Emond
authors.affiliation: Neurology/Neuropsychology CMRR Unit, Hospital Nord, 42270 Saint Priest-en-Jarez, France; University Lyon 2, Laboratory EMC (EA 3082), 69676 Bron, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Neurology/Neuropsychology CMRR Unit, Hospital Nord, 42270 Saint Priest-en-Jarez, France; Pain Center, Hospital Nord, 42270 Saint Priest-en-Jarez, France; Central Integration of Pain, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028 & University Jean Monnet, 42023 Saint-Etienne Cx 2, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.affiliation: University Lyon 2, Laboratory EMC (EA 3082), 69676 Bron, France.
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Michael
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001364:Awareness; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D065812:Interoception / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attention; Catastrophism; Fibromyalgia; Interoception; Pain; Spontaneous sensations