Cognitive impairment in patients with Fibromyalgia syndrome

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009 Dec 21;10(1):162. [Epub ahead of print]

Cognitive impairment in patients with Fibromyalgia syndrome as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination.

Rodriguez-Andreu J, Ibanez-Bosch R, Portero-Vazquez A, Masramon X, Rejas J, Galvez R.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the frequency of cognitive impairment in patients with Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE).

METHODS: We analyzed baseline data from all 46 patients with FMS and 92 age- and sex-matched controls per diagnosis of neuropathic (NeP) or mixed pain (MP) selected from a larger prospective study.

RESULTS: FMS had a slight but statistically significant lower score in the adjusted MMSE score (26.9; 95% CI 26.7-27.1) than either NeP (27.3; 95% CI 27.2-27.4) or MP (27.3; 27.2-27.5). The percentage of patients with congnitive impairment (adjusted MMSE [less than or equal to] 26) was numerically higher in FMS (15%; 95% CI 6.3-29) compared with NeP (5%; 95% CI 1.8-12.2) or MP (5%; 95% CI 1.8-12.2) and higher than in the same age stratum of the general population (0.05%).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the population reference value, patients with FMS showed high frequency of cognitive impairment.

PMID: 20025750 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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written by Maff, December 29, 2009

A well designed study as the use of controls with other pain disorders means the data suggest that the cognitive dysfunctions in fibromyalgia ("brain fog"/"fibro fog") are not related to pain. Further evidence of the complexity of fibromyalgia. There is much more to this disease than pain.

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written by gbrown2, January 01, 2010

hi iknow there is much more to this desease than pain but the pain i experienced in hospital after being subjected to hospital smells during hip replacment surgery was unbearable ie life theatening i was offered panadole forte how pathetic the brain fog is considerably worse and weakness barely able to move,there sure is something else going on but the pain is the worst impossible to believe doctors dont regonise this illness