Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) has been conceptualized as a disorder of the central nervous system,
characterized by augmented sensory processing and an inability to effectively modulate
pain. We previously reported that physical activity is related to brain processing
of pain, providing evidence for a potential mechanism of pain management. The purpose
of this study was to extend our work by manipulating pain modulation and determining
relationships to both physical activity and sustained sedentary behavior. Eleven women
with FM completed accelerometer measures of physical activity and underwent functional
magnetic resonance imaging of painful heat, administered alone and during distracting
cognitive tasks. Results showed that physical activity was significantly (P < .005) and positively related to brain responses during distraction from pain in
regions implicated in pain modulation including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
(DLPFC), the dorsal posterior cingulate, and the periaqueductal grey. A significant
negative relationship occurred in the left anterior insula. For sedentary time, significant
negative relationships were observed in areas involved in both pain modulation and
the sensory-discriminative aspects of pain including the DLPFC, thalamus, and superior
frontal and pre- and post-central gyri. These results suggest that physical activity
and sedentary behaviors are related to central nervous system regulation of pain in
FM.
Perspective
Our results support a promising benefit of physical activity and highlight the potentially
deleterious effects of sustained sedentary behavior for pain regulation in FM. Studies
aimed at increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behavior and determining
the impact of these on pain regulation are warranted.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 16, 2012
Accepted:
November 2,
2011
Received in revised form:
October 10,
2011
Received:
July 19,
2011
Footnotes
Supported by National Institutes of Health grant ROI 5R01AR050969, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders (NIAMS).
There were no conflicts of interest during this study.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
