Patterns of Cerebral Blood Flow Modulation During Painful Stimulation in Fibromyalgia: A Transcranial Doppler Sonography Study

Abstract

The results demonstrate that acute pain processing is associated with a complex pattern of CBF modulation, where FMS patients exhibited alterations in all phases of the response. The aberrances may be ascribed to psychophysiological phenomena, including central nervous nociceptive sensitization and protective-defensive reflex mechanisms. The anticipatory CBF response in patients may relate to various cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms involved in pain chronification.