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. 2008 May-Jun;49(3):235-42.
doi: 10.1176/appi.psy.49.3.235.

Comorbid somatic symptoms and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: sensory amplification as a common mechanism

Michael E Geisser  1 , Cathy Strader Donnell, Frank Petzke, Richard H Gracely, Daniel J Clauw, David A Williams
Affiliations

Comorbid somatic symptoms and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: sensory amplification as a common mechanism

Michael E Geisser et al. Psychosomatics. 2008 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Somatic symptoms are common in conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Objective: Authors investigated a potential shared pathologic mechanism: a generalized perceptual abnormality where there is heightened responsiveness to varied sensory stimulation, including pain.

Method: A composite measure of sensory sensitivity was created and compared with measures of somatic symptoms, comorbid psychological disturbances, and self-reported physical functioning in 38 patients with FM and/or CFS.

Results: Sensory amplification influenced physical functioning indirectly through pain intensity, and physical symptoms and fatigue also independently contributed to physical functioning.

Conclusion: Sensory amplification may be an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism in these disorders that is relatively independent of depression and depressive symptoms.

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