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Comorbid Somatic Symptoms and Functional Status in Patients With Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Sensory Amplification as a Common Mechanism

Received February 20, 2007; accepted June 18, 2007. From the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Div. of Rheumatology, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; and the Univ. of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Michael E. Geisser, Ph.D., Univ. of Michigan Health System Dept. of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, 325 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. e-mail: mgeisser{at}med.umich.edu
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Somatic symptoms are common in conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). OBJECTIVE: Authors investigated a potential shared pathologic mechanism: a generalized perceptual abnormality where there is heightened responsiveness to varied sensory stimulation, including pain. METHOD: A composite measure of sensory sensitivity was created and compared with measures of somatic symptoms, comorbid psychological disturbances, and self-reported physical functioning in 38 patients with FM and/or CFS. RESULTS: Sensory amplification influenced physical functioning indirectly through pain intensity, and physical symptoms and fatigue also independently contributed to physical functioning. CONCLUSION: Sensory amplification may be an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism in these disorders that is relatively independent of depression and depressive symptoms.

Key Words: Fibromyalgia • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome • Functional Status

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