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. 2024 Jul 23;13(15):4288.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13154288.

Comparative Efficacy of Neuromodulation and Structured Exercise Program on Autonomic Modulation in Fibromyalgia Patients: Pilot Study

Alejandro Rubio-Zarapuz  1 , María Dolores Apolo-Arenas  2   3 , Orlando Fernandes  4   5 , José Francisco Tornero-Aguilera  1 , Vicente J Clemente-Suárez  1   6 , Jose A Parraca  4   5
Affiliations

Comparative Efficacy of Neuromodulation and Structured Exercise Program on Autonomic Modulation in Fibromyalgia Patients: Pilot Study

Alejandro Rubio-Zarapuz et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder marked by widespread muscle and joint pain, persistent fatigue, sleep disturbances, and irregularities in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Methods: This study compared the effectiveness of neuromodulation using the EXOPULSE Mollii suit with a structured exercise program in regulating ANS function in fibromyalgia patients. In this randomized, longitudinal crossover study, 10 female patients were randomly assigned to either the Suit + Exercise group or the Exercise + Suit group. Each group participated in two sessions per week for eight weeks, followed by a two-week washout period before switching to the other intervention. We measured cortical arousal, microcirculation, and heart rate variability (HRV) before and after the 1st, 8th, and 16th sessions. Results: The results showed significant improvements in cortical arousal, HRV, and microcirculation with the neuromodulation treatment whereas the exercise program only produced short-term improvements in cortical arousal. Conclusion: The EXOPULSE Mollii suit exhibited cumulative benefits on ANS modulation over time, suggesting potential long-term advantages for managing fibromyalgia. However, further research is needed to explore the delayed effects of both treatments on ANS modulation.

Keywords: autonomic modulation; cortical arousal; exercise; fibromyalgia; heart rate variability; neuromodulation therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Exercise Intervention. ′: minutes; ″: seconds; reps/ex.: repetitions per exercise.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Thermal imaging assessment using the FLIR E8-XT system.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cortical arousal assessment using the Lafayette Instrument Flicker Fusion Control Unit.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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