RESEARCH - Virtual reality tasks disclose spatial memory alteration in fibromyalgia

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Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on August 4, 2009

Rheumatology 2009 48(10):1273-1278; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kep218

Virtual reality tasks disclose spatial memory alterations in fibromyalgia

Cánovas1,*, Irene León1,*, María D. Roldán1, Astur2 and

M. Cimadevilla1

1Department of Neuroscience, University of Almería, Almería, Spain and

2Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living at Hartford

Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA.

Abstract

Objective. The objective is to assess performance on virtual reality

spatial memory tasks as well as classical neuropsychological tests in

patients with fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods. Fifteen FM patients and fifteen healthy age- and

education-matched controls performed the virtual versions of the

water maze and the hole board (a virtual version called Boxes

room). All participants also completed a comprehensive

neuropsychological evaluation that included measures of general

intelligence, attention/working memory and visuospatial memory.

Results. Both virtual reality tasks were demonstrated to be sensitive

to spatial memory alterations. FM patients performed significantly

worse than controls in the spatial navigation tasks, showing

significantly more errors than their matched controls, while no

significant differences were found between patients and controls

regarding standard neuropsychological testing. In addition, those FM

patients with longer chronicity had lower auditory memory span,

visuospatial memory and general intelligence within their group.

Conclusion. These results are the first to demonstrate that there is a

spatial learning deficit in people with FM, which suggest that the

hippocampal system can be disturbed in this syndrome.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/48/10/1273?etoc

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