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Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome tend to report deficits in cognitive functions; however, there is no clear consensus on which cognitive domains are impaired. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in cognitive performance between a group of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and a group of pain-free subjects controlling for the covariables anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. In total, 130 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and 111 pain-free subjects with an average age of 54.96 years completed the evaluation protocol consisting of sociodemographic data, psychological data, and neurocognitive tests. All data were collected from May 2022 to May 2023. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) were conducted to assess intergroup differences in all neurocognitive tests. MANCOVA analyses showed that the group of patients with fibromyalgia showed a worse cognitive performance than the group of pain-free subjects after controlling for anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. This study found that fibromyalgia patients exhibited worse cognitive performance and executive function than pain-free subjects. Thus, cognitive performance seems to not be related with anxiety, depression, or sleep quality in our sample of women with FMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the relationship between demographic, clinical, psychological and pressure pain sensitivity outcomes with the central sensitization inventory (CSI) in female with fibromyalgia (FMS).Methods: One hundred and twenty-six (n = 126) females with FMS completed demographic (age, body mass index, height, weight), clinical (pain history, pain intensity at rest and during daily living activities), psychological (depression/anxiety levels) outcomes and widespread pressure pain sensitivity as well as the central sensitization inventory (CSI). After conducting a multivariable correlation analysis to identify the association between variables, a multiple linear regression model was performed to identify CSI predictors.Results: The CSI was negatively associated with age (r = -0.262) and PPTs (r ranged from -0.221 to -0.372) and positively associated with anxiety (r = 0.541), depression (r = 0.415), mean intensity (r = 0.305), worst pain (r = 0.249) and pain during daily living activities (r = 0.398). The stepwise regression analysis revealed that 47.4% of CSI variance in this sample was explained by anxiety levels (27.8%), PPT at greater trochanter (10.5%), age (1.4%), years with pain (4.8%) and pain during daily living activities (2.9%).Conclusion: The current study found that age, pain intensity at rest and pain during daily living activities, anxiety levels and pressure pain sensitivity are associated with the CSI (associated sensitization symptoms) in women with FMS.Significance: This study found that sensitization-associated symptoms in women with FMS are partially influenced by age, pain intensity at rest and pain during daily living activities, anxiety levels and pressure pain sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a neuropathic pain condition characterised by pain, paresthesia, loss of strength and disability. To explore the experiences of women with CTS regarding the management of symptoms and limitations. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted. Women with a clinical and electromyographic diagnosis of CTS recruited from the Neurology Department of a Public Hospital were included. Purposeful sampling was performed. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and researchers' field notes. Analysis proposed by Giorgi was used. A total of 18 women with CTS were included. Two themes emerged: a) Living with CTS symptoms and limitations: describing the symptoms experienced, triggers of their symptoms and how they define CTS. Also, describing the difficulties that they experience on a daily basis, at home when handling tools, communicating, driving, and at work; and b) developing daily strategies for managing limitations: developing potential daily strategies to overcome daily limitations and/or compensate for them, and seeking professional help. Current results provide insight on how symptoms and daily limitations are experienced by a group of women with CTS. These findings could help occupational therapists to understand the day-to-day difficulties and the reasons for developing certain strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Current evidence suggests that fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) involves complex underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to quantify the multivariate relationships between clinical, psychophysical, and psychological outcomes in women with FMS by using network analysis to understand the psychobiological mechanisms driving FMS and generating new research questions for improving treatment strategies. Methods Demographic (age, height, weight), clinical (pain history, pain intensity at rest and during daily living activities), psychophysical (widespread pressure pain thresholds [PPT]), sensory-related (PainDETECT, S-LANSS, Central Sensitization Inventory [CSI]) and psychological (depressive and anxiety levels) variables were collected in 126 women with FMS. Network analysis was conducted to quantify the adjusted correlations between the modeled variables and to assess their centrality indices (i.e. the connectivity with other symptoms in the network and the importance in the system modelled as network). Results The network showed several local associations between psychophysical and clinical sensory-related variables. Multiple positive correlations between PPTs were observed, being the strongest weight between PPTs on the knee and tibialis anterior muscle (⁠ ρ ⁠ : 0.33). PainDETECT was associated with LANSS (⁠ ρ ⁠ : 0.45) and CSI (⁠ ρ ⁠ : 0.24), whereas CSI was associated with HADS-A (⁠ ρ ⁠ : 0.28). The most central variables were PPTs over the tibialis anterior (the highest Strength centrality) and CSI (the highest Closeness and Betweenness centrality). Conclusion Our findings support a model where clinical sensory-related, psychological, and psycho-physical variables are connected, albeit in separate clusters, reflecting a nociplastic condition with a relevant role of sensitization. Clinical implications of the findings, such as developing treatments targeting these mechanisms, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multicentre studies focussing on specific long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms are scarce. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the levels of fatigue and dyspnoea, repercussions on daily life activities, and risk factors associated with fatigue or dyspnoea in COVID-19 survivors at long term after hospital discharge. Methods: Age, gender, height, weight, symptoms at hospitalization, pre-existing medical comorbidity, intensive care unit admission, and the presence of cardio-respiratory symptoms developed after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were collected from patients who recovered from COVID-19 at 4 hospitals in Madrid (Spain) from March 1 to May 31, 2020 (first COVID-19 wave). The Functional Impairment Checklist was used for evaluating fatigue/dyspnoea levels and functional limitations. Results: A total of 1,142 patients (48% women, age: 61, standard deviation [SD]: 17 years) were assessed 7.0 months (SD 0.6) after hospitalization. Fatigue was present in 61% patients, dyspnoea with activity in 55%, and dyspnoea at rest in 23.5%. Only 355 (31.1%) patients did not exhibit fatigue and/or dyspnoea 7 months after hospitalization. Forty-five per cent reported functional limitations with daily living activities. Risk factors associated with fatigue and dyspnoea included female gender, number of pre-existing comorbidities, and number of symptoms at hospitalization. The number of days at hospital was a risk factor just for dyspnoea. Conclusions: Fatigue and/or dyspnoea were present in 70% of hospitalized COVID-19 survivors 7 months after discharge. In addition, 45% patients exhibited limitations on daily living activities. Being female, higher number of pre-existing medical comorbidities and number of symptoms at hospitalization were risk factors associated to fatigue/dyspnoea in COVID-19 survivors 7 months after hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate gender differences in the relationships between headache features, sleep quality, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and burden of headache in 193 patients (73 percent women) with chronic tension type headache (CTTH). Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Headache features were collected with a four-week diary. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety/depressive symptoms. Headache Disability Inventory was used to evaluate the burden of headache. In men with CTTH, sleep quality was positive correlated with headache frequency (r = 0.310; p = .018), emotional (r = 0.518; p < .001) and physical (r = 0.468; p < .001) burden of headache, and depressive symptoms (r = 0.564; p < .001). In women, positive correlations were observed between sleep quality and headache intensity (r = 0.282; p < .001), headache frequency (r = 0.195; p = .021), emotional burden (r = 0.249; p = .004), and depressive symptoms (r = 0.382; p < .001). The results of stepwise regression analyses revealed that depressive symptoms and emotional burden of headache explained 37.2 percent of the variance in sleep quality in men (p < .001), whereas depressive symptoms and headache intensity explained 17.4 percent of the variance in sleep quality in women (p < .001) with CTTH. Gender differences associated with poor sleep should be considered for proper management of individuals with CTTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research into the pathogenesis of tension-type headache (TTH) and migraine is focused on altered nociceptive pain processing. Among the potential factors that influence sensitization mechanisms, emotional stress, depression, or sleep disorders all have an essential role: they increase the excitability of nociceptive firing and trigger hyperalgesic responses. Sleep disturbances and headache disorders share common brain structures and pathogenic mechanisms and TTH, migraine, and sleep disturbances often occur together; for example, 50% of individuals who have either TTH or migraine have insomnia. Moreover, insomnia and poor sleep quality have been associated with a higher frequency and intensity of headache attacks, supporting the notion that severity and prevalence of sleep problems correlate with headache burden. It should be noted that the association between headaches and sleep problems is bidirectional: headache can promote sleep disturbances, and sleep disturbances can also precede or trigger a headache attack. Therefore, a better understanding of the factors that affect sleep quality in TTH and migraine can assist clinicians in determining better and adequate therapeutic programs. In this review, the role of sleep disturbances in headaches, and the association with depression, emotional stress, and pain sensitivity in individuals with TTH or migraine are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given that identification of groups of patients can help to better understand risk factors related to each group and to improve personalized therapeutic strategies, this study aimed to identify subgroups (clusters) of women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) according to pain, pain-related disability, neurophysiological, cognitive, health, psychological, or physical features., Methods: Demographic, pain, sensory, pain-related disability, psychological, health, cognitive, and physical variables were collected in 113 women with FMS. Widespread pressure pain thresholds were also assessed. K-means clustering was used to identify groups of women without any previous assumption., Results: Two clusters exhibiting similar widespread sensitivity to pressure pain (pressure pain thresholds) but differing in the remaining variables were identified. Overall, women in one cluster exhibited higher pain intensity and pain-related disability; more sensitization-associated and neuropathic pain symptoms; higher kinesiophobia, hypervigilance, and catastrophism levels; worse sleep quality; higher anxiety/depressive levels; lower health-related function; and worse physical function than women in the other cluster., Conclusions: Cluster analysis identified one group of women with FMS exhibiting worse sensory, psychological, cognitive, and health-related features. Widespread sensitivity to pressure pain seems to be a common feature of FMS. The present results suggest that this group of women with FMS might need to be treated differently., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)