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A comprehensive study of autonomic dysfunction in the fibromyalgia patients

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Abstract

Objectives

The hypothesis of autonomic nervous system involvement in pathophysiology in the patients with fibromyalgia has been addressed and tested time and again but the existing reports are both contradictory and inconclusive. A complete knowledge of the degree of autonomic dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients would be more substantial. We conducted a comprehensive non-invasive study to investigate the complete autonomic profile of female patients with fibromyalgia.

Method

An autonomic function test using a standard battery and heart rate variability analysis in the 42 fibromyalgia patients as well as 42 age matched healthy controls was performed. Both autonomic activity (tone) and reactivity were measured. Autonomic tone (both time and frequency domain parameters) was measured using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Autonomic reactivity was measured using a standard battery of autonomic function tests.

Results

Resting blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) was significantly higher in the fibromyalgia patients than controls. The time domain variables and HF% as recorded by HRV were significantly lower in the patients than the controls. The autonomic reactivity for sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system was found to be within normal limits.

Interpretation

The cardiac autonomic function is normal and the autonomic reflex arc seems to be intact in the patients with fibromyalgia.

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Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110608, India

    Poorvi Kulshreshtha, Raj Kumar Yadav, Ramesh Lal Bijlani & Kishore Kumar Deepak

  2. Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110608, India

    Rajiva Gupta

Authors
  1. Poorvi Kulshreshtha
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  2. Rajiva Gupta
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  3. Raj Kumar Yadav
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  4. Ramesh Lal Bijlani
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  5. Kishore Kumar Deepak
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Correspondence to Kishore Kumar Deepak.

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Kulshreshtha, P., Gupta, R., Yadav, R.K. et al. A comprehensive study of autonomic dysfunction in the fibromyalgia patients. Clin Auton Res 22, 117–122 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0150-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0150-6

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