Burgess, Jamie 
ORCID: 0000-0002-7165-6918, Marshall, Anne ORCID: 0000-0002-2331-3750, Rapteas, Leandros, Riley, David, Matsumoto, Kohei, Boon, Cheng, Alchawaf, Alia, Ferdousi, Maryam, Malik, Rayaz A, Marshall, Andrew ORCID: 0000-0001-8273-7089 et al (show 4 more authors)
(2024)
Idiopathic Distal Sensory Polyneuropathy and Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Comparative Phenotyping Study.
Pain and therapy, 13 (6).
pp. 1541-1558.
ISSN 2193-8237, 2193-651X
Abstract
<h4>Introduction</h4>Painful idiopathic distal sensory polyneuropathy (IDSP) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are cryptogenic chronic pain syndromes. The contribution of small fibre pathology (SFP) in FMS remains controversial. This study aims to quantify small nerve pathology in participants with IDSP and FMS and identify relationships of SFP with sensory phenotypes.<h4>Methods</h4>In this study, 73 individuals (FMS: 25, IDSP: 23, healthy volunteers: 25) underwent comprehensive assessment, including neurological exams, questionnaires, sensory tests, and corneal confocal microscopy.<h4>Results</h4>IDSP participants displayed lower wind-up ratio (WUR) relative to FMS (p < 0.001), loss of function to thermal and mechanical stimuli and elevated neuropathy disability scores compared to FMS and healthy volunteers (all p < 0.001). FMS participants demonstrated gain of function to heat and blunt pressure pain responses relative to IDSP, and healthy volunteers (heat: p = 0.002 and p = 0.003; pressure: both p < 0.001) and WUR (both p < 0.001). FMS participants exhibited reduced corneal nerve fibre density (p = 0.02), while IDSP participants had lower global corneal nerve measures (density, branch density, and length) relative to healthy volunteers (all p < 0.001). Utilising corneal nerve fibre length, SFP was demonstrated in 66.6% of participants (FMS: 13/25; IDSP: 22/23).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Participants with SFP, in both FMS and IDSP, reported symptoms indicative of small nerve fibre disease. Although distinctions in pain distributions are evident between individuals with FMS and IDSP, over 50% of participants between the two conditions displayed both a loss and gain of thermal and mechanical function suggestive of shared mechanisms. However, sensory phenotypes were associated with the presence of SFP in IDSP but not in FMS.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Idiopathic distal sensory polyneuropathy, Fibromyalgia syndrome, Small fibre, Corneal confocal microscopy, Quantitative sensory testing, Neuropathic pain, Sensory phenotyping, Pain characteristics |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Sep 2024 10:41 |
| Last Modified: | 22 May 2026 15:32 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s40122-024-00646-x |
| Open Access URL: | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40122-0... |
| Related Websites: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3184475 |
| Disclaimer: | The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate. |
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