Fibromyalgia as a Heterogeneous Condition: Subgroups of Patients Based on Physical Symptoms and Cognitive-Affective Variables Related to Pain

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Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations, and knowing this variability can help to develop tailored treatments. To understand better the heterogeneity of FM the present cross-sectional study analyzed the role of several physical symptoms (pain, fatigue and poor sleep quality) and cognitive-affective variables related to pain (pain catastrophizing, pain vigilance, self-efficacy in pain management, and pain acceptance) in the configuration of clinical profiles. A sample of 161 women with FM fulfilled an interview and several self-report measures to explore physical symptoms, cognitive-affective variables, disability and psychopathology. To establish FM groups a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. The findings revealed three clusters that differed in the grouping variables, Wilks’ λ = .17, F(14, 304) = 31.50, p < .001, η _{p
²} = .59. Group 1 ( n = 72) was characterized by high physical and psychological affectation, Group 2 ( n = 19) by low physical affectation and high pain self-efficacy, and Group 3 ( n = 70) by moderate physical affectation and low pain catastrophizing. The external validation of the clusters was confirmed, Wilks’ λ = .72, F(4, 314) = 14.09, p < .001, η _{p
²} = .15, showing Group 1 the highest levels of FM impact and psychopathological distress. Considering the distinctive clinical characteristics of each subgroup therapeutic strategies addressed to the specific needs of each group were suggested. Assessing FM profiles may be key for a better understanding and approach of this syndrome.

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Frederick Wolfe, Daniel Clauw, Mary-Ann Fitzcharles … (2010)

To develop simple, practical criteria for clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia that are suitable for use in primary and specialty care and that do not require a tender point examination, and to provide a severity scale for characteristic fibromyalgia symptoms. We performed a multicenter study of 829 previously diagnosed fibromyalgia patients and controls using physician physical and interview examinations, including a widespread pain index (WPI), a measure of the number of painful body regions. Random forest and recursive partitioning analyses were used to guide the development of a case definition of fibromyalgia, to develop criteria, and to construct a symptom severity (SS) scale. Approximately 25% of fibromyalgia patients did not satisfy the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 classification criteria at the time of the study. The most important diagnostic variables were WPI and categorical scales for cognitive symptoms, unrefreshed sleep, fatigue, and number of somatic symptoms. The categorical scales were summed to create an SS scale. We combined the SS scale and the WPI to recommend a new case definition of fibromyalgia: (WPI > or =7 AND SS > or =5) OR (WPI 3-6 AND SS > or =9). This simple clinical case definition of fibromyalgia correctly classifies 88.1% of cases classified by the ACR classification criteria, and does not require a physical or tender point examination. The SS scale enables assessment of fibromyalgia symptom severity in persons with current or previous fibromyalgia, and in those to whom the criteria have not been applied. It will be especially useful in the longitudinal evaluation of patients with marked symptom variability.