NCT03612258

Brain Mechanisms of Juvenile Fibromyalgia

Brain Mechanisms of Altered Sensory Perception and Self-Referential Processing in Juvenile Fibromyalgia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 153 (actual)
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 13 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study evaluates whether differences exist between adolescent females with juvenile-onset fibromyalgia and healthy controls in processing of pain and emotion at the neural level as assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The study includes a longitudinal component to evaluate changes in neural processing of pain and emotion before and after different treatment strategies.

Detailed description

Juvenile-onset fibromyalgia (JFM) is a chronic, widespread pain condition that primarily affects females. Previous work has shown increased sensitivity to painful and non-painful sensory stimuli in adults with fibromyalgia, as well as brain processing abnormalities associated with these stimuli. These abnormalities in adults are highly predictive of fibromyalgia status (as opposed to healthy status) in adults. Although JFM has some similar symptoms and features to fibromyalgia in adults, the neural mechanisms of JFM may be partially different, given the moment of sharp brain development characterising JFM. fMRI scans will be completed before and after different treatments for JFM (e.g. neuromuscular training + cognitive behavioral therapy, graded aerobic exercise) to investigate the effects of treatment on brain measures related to pain, fatigue and emotion processing.

Conditions

• Fibromyalgia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans will be completed to assess neural responses to painful, non-painful sensory, and emotion-eliciting stimuli.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-02-28
• Primary completion: 2024-07-31
• Completion: 2024-07-31
• First posted: 2018-08-02
• Last updated: 2025-01-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States