Pain Processing and Vegetative Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia: A Study by Sympathetic Skin Response and Laser Evoked Potentials

BACKGROUND: A dysfunction of pain processing at central and peripheral levels was reported in fibromyalgia (FM). We aimed to correlate laser evoked potentials (LEPs), Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR), and clinical features in FM patients. METHODS: Fifty FM patients and 30 age-matched controls underwent LEPs and SSR by the right hand and foot. The clinical evaluation included FM disability (FIQ) and severity scores (WPI), anxiety (SAS) and depression (SDS) scales, and questionnaires for neuropathic pain (DN4). RESULTS: The LEP P2 latency and amplitude and the SSR latency were increased in FM group. This latter feature was more evident in anxious patients. The LEPs habituation was reduced in FM patients and correlated to pain severity scores. In a significant number of patients (32%) with higher DN4 and FIQ scores, SSR or LEP responses were absent. CONCLUSIONS: LEPs and SSR might contribute to clarifying the peripheral and central nervous system involvement in FM patients.