A Psychophysical Study of Auditory and Pressure Sensitivity in Patients With Fibromyalgia and Healthy Controls

[Guest guest]

I know I cannot tolerate a lot of noise.. If I am in a noisy restaurant

(or other indoor place), I become very edgy and cannot concentrate. It

almost feels like I am going to have a panic attack and my pain level shoots

way up.

This article is very interesting and validating...

Shari Ferbert

************************************************

Source: J Pain 2008 Feb 14 (via

Co-Cure)

A Psychophysical Study of Auditory and Pressure Sensitivity in

Patients With Fibromyalgia and Healthy Controls.

J Pain. 2008 Feb 14 [Epub ahead of print]

Geisser ME, Glass JM, Rajcevska LD, Clauw DJ, DA, Kileny PR,

Gracely RH.

Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Internal

Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann

Arbor; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University

of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

PMID: 18280211

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by widespread tenderness. Studies

have also reported that persons with FM are sensitive to other

stimuli, such as auditory tones. We hypothesized that subjects with

FM would display greater sensitivity to both pressure and auditory

tones and report greater sensitivity to sounds encountered in daily

activities.

FM subjects (n = 30) and healthy control subjects (n = 28) were

administered auditory tones and pressure using the same

psychophysical methods to deliver the stimuli and a common way of

scaling responses. Subjects were also administered a self-report

questionnaire regarding sensitivity to everyday sounds.

Participants with FM displayed significantly greater sensitivity to

all levels of auditory stimulation (Ps < .05). The magnitude of

difference between FM patients' lowered auditory sensitivity

(relative to control subjects) was similar to that seen with

pressure, and pressure and auditory ratings were significantly

correlated in both control subjects and subjects with FM. FM patients

also were more sensitive to everyday sounds (t = 8.65, P < .001).

These findings support that FM is associated with a global central

nervous system augmentation in sensory processing. Further research

is needed to examine the neural substrates associated with this

abnormality and its role in the etiology and maintenance of FM.

PERSPECTIVE: Muscle tenderness is the hallmark of FM, but the

findings of this study and others suggest that persons with FM

display sensitivity to a number of sensory stimuli. These findings

suggest that FM is associated with a global central nervous system

augmentation of sensory information. These findings may also help to

explain why persons with FM display a number of comorbid physical

symptoms other than pain.

Shari

Shari Ferbert

President, AFFTER

Advocates for Fibromyalgia Funding,

Treatment, Education and Research

www.affter.org

[Guest guest]

I am reading a VERY INTERESTING BOOK called " Too Loud, Too Bright, Too

Fast, Too Tight " by Sharon Heller, Ph.D. It describes the " sensory

defensive " person (which the author is herself) - it sounds in many

ways like what we with FMS experience! I too am very sensitive to

noise, lighting, etc. There's also another book called " The Highly

Sensitive Person " that I plan to read next. - Dominie

>

> I know I cannot tolerate a lot of noise.. If I am in a noisy

restaurant (or

> other indoor place), I become very edgy and cannot concentrate. It

almost

> feels like I am going to have a panic attack and my pain level shoots

way

> up.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have read a good part of “The Highly Sensitive Person” and

found myself there many times!

I have always been sensitive in nature anyway, but this book

helps you to really understand that you are not alone.

I did not agree with everything in the book because I felt that

she really goes to extremes, but that might just be me.

I tend to be skeptical in just about everything that I read, but

there was a lot of things in the book that made sense!

~~

From:

dominie [mailto:dominie ] On Behalf Of Dominie

Bush

Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:39 PM

dominie

Subject: Re: A Psychophysical Study of Auditory and Pressure

Sensitivity in Patients With Fibromyalgia and Healthy Controls

I am reading a VERY INTERESTING BOOK called

" Too Loud, Too Bright, Too

Fast, Too Tight " by Sharon Heller, Ph.D. It describes the " sensory

defensive " person (which the author is herself) - it sounds in many

ways like what we with FMS experience! I too am very sensitive to

noise, lighting, etc. There's also another book called " The Highly

Sensitive Person " that I plan to read next. - Dominie

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the feedback. I will keep that in mind as I am about to

read the " Highly Sensitive " book. (The only thing I didn't like

about " Too Loud, Too Bright.... " book were her " evolutionary "

comments, just in a few places.) - Dom

>

> I have read a good part of " The Highly Sensitive Person " and found

myself

> there many times!

>

> I have always been sensitive in nature anyway, but this book helps

you to

> really understand that you are not alone.

>

> I did not agree with everything in the book because I felt that she

really

> goes to extremes, but that might just be me.

>

> I tend to be skeptical in just about everything that I read, but

there was a

> lot of things in the book that made sense!

>

> ~~

[Guest guest]

> >

> > I know I cannot tolerate a lot of noise.. If I am in a noisy

> restaurant (or

> > other indoor place), I become very edgy and cannot concentrate.

It

> almost

> > feels like I am going to have a panic attack and my pain level

shoots

> way

> > up.

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I just have to comment of being sensitive to "things". Long before I ever became ill with RA and then FMS, I could not even lay on a matteress with buttons--and you know, that is all there was back in the '60's. My husband would make "fun" of me because of it. I was like the "princess and the pea", ha. I would have to fold blankets or towels, or what ever I could find if we were in a strange bed, where there was any kind of "bump". Today, I have a very sensitive "nose" and to even be near anyone with perfume on really bothers. Also, I can't get to sleep if there is any kind of light in the room. It has to be totally dark. And yes, the sounds, it is really hard to stay in motels/hotels. I hear every sound. I carry a "sound" machine with me when we do any traveling so I can hear the "white noise" and that is the only way I get any sleep, even with Lunesta. Elaine Dominie Bush <dombush@...> wrote: I am reading a VERY INTERESTING BOOK called "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight" by Sharon Heller, Ph.D. It describes the "sensory defensive" person (which the author is herself) - it sounds in many ways like what we with FMS experience! I too am very sensitive to noise, lighting, etc. There's also another book called "The Highly Sensitive Person" that I plan to read next. - Dominie>> I know I cannot tolerate a lot of noise.. If I am in a noisy restaurant (or> other indoor place), I become very edgy and cannot concentrate. It almost> feels like I am going to have a panic attack and my pain level shoots way> up. > >

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