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Rafael JA Cámara,1 Raschid K Gharbo,2 Niklaus Egloff3 1 medscoops ® – Health Sciences, Mainz, Germany; 2Zürcher RehaZentrum, Klinik Davos, Davos-Clavadel, Switzerland; 3Department of Neurology, Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, SwitzerlandCorrespondence: Raschid K Gharbo Rosenhügelweg 7, Davos-Platz 7270, SwitzerlandTel +41 79 245 67 47Email r.gharbo@bluewin.chPurpose: Prior findings suggest that women and elderly persons are more sensitive to pressure than men and younger persons; however, the magnitudes of these differences are substantially inconsistent. We answered the question whether the higher sensitivity of women and elderly persons is quantitatively meaningful. Specifically, we investigated if it is large enough to hamper the diagnosis, classification and follow-up of pain conditions by clinicians.Materials and Methods: From each age stratum (18– 20, 21– 30, 31– 40, 41– 50, 51– 60, 61– 70, 71– 80, and > 80 years), 40 pain-free women and 40 pain-free men were recruited. They rated the intensity of pressure of ten Newtons over ten seconds on an analogue zero to ten rating scale. The pressure was applied on their middle fingers and ear lobes with a threshold algometer. Centile curves visualized the sex- and age-dependent fluctuation of pressure sensitivity.Results: Over the entire age range from 20 to 80 years, the median curves fluctuated within the interval of less than two points. The distance between the median curves of men and women was also less than two points. On the average, the median difference was half a point on the finger (p = 0.249) and the ear lobe (p = 0.083).Conclusion: Less than two points is below the minimal clinically important difference for a zero to ten analogue pain rating scale; differences smaller than one point are even below the resolution of the scale. Sex differences and age fluctuations of pressure sensitivity are negligible.Keywords: age, sex, pain, sensitivity

Julian A Stewart,1 Simone Mailler-Burch,1 Darius Müller,1 Martina Studer,1 Roland von Känel,2,3 Martin grosse Holtforth,1,4 Kyrill Schwegler,1 Niklaus Egloff1,21Department of Neurology, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 2Department of Clinical Research, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 3Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 4Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandPurpose: Diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia have been subject to debate and controversy for many years. The preliminary diagnostic criteria introduced in 2010 and 2011 have been criticized for different reasons, including questionable diagnostic specificity and a lack of an etiopathogenetic foundation. The “ABC indicators” presented in this study reflect a further development of the 2011 criteria and refer to (A) algesia, (B) bilateral, axial-symmetric pain distribution, and (C) chronic distress.Patients and methods: We compared the diagnostic performance of the ABC indicators with that of the 2011 criteria by analyzing the data of 409 inpatients with chronic functional pain divided into two subgroups of pain patients: Those with whole-body pain and those with pain not involving the whole body. Under the premise that FM phenotypically represents a whole-body pain disorder, sensitivity, specificity, correct classification and diagnostic odds ratios were calculated.Results: The 2011 criteria demonstrated a specificity of 68.1%, a sensitivity of 75.5%, a correct classification of 71.0% and a diagnostic odds ratio of 6.56 (CI: 4.17–10.31). The ABC indicators achieved a specificity of 88.3%, a sensitivity of 62.3%, a correct classification of 78.6%, and a diagnostic odds ratio of 12.47 (CI: 7.30–21.28).Conclusion: The ABC fibromyalgia indicators demonstrated better specificity, lower sensitivity, and better overall diagnostic effectiveness than the original 2011 criteria.Keywords: chronic pain, diagnostic criteria, widespread pain, hyperalgesia, psychological distress, Complex Generalized Pain Syndrome (CGPS)

Elian Zuercher-Huerlimann,1,2 Julian A Stewart,1,3 Niklaus Egloff,1 Roland von Känel,4 Martina Studer,1,3 Martin grosse Holtforth1,31Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; 2Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 3Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 4Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandPurpose: Chronic pain is a major health concern and its treatment requires physiological as well as psychological interventions. This study investigates the predictive value of health locus of control (HLOC) in pain intensity in chronic pain patients in an inpatient treatment setting.Patients and methods: Data of 225 patients with a chronic pain condition were collected in a psychosomatic university clinic in Switzerland. Self-report assessment tools were used to measure pain intensity pre- and posttreatment and with a questionnaire dimensions of the HLOC were captured. Using hierarchic linear regression analysis, the predictive value of HLOC was investigated.Results: A higher internal HLOC at pre-treatment was associated with a greater reduction in pain intensity from pre- to posttreatment (β = −0.151, p

Niklaus Egloff,1,2 Barbara Wegmann,1 Bettina Juon,3 Stefanie Stauber,1 Roland von Känel,2,4 Esther Vögelin3 1Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital Bern University Hospital, 2Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Inselspital Bern University Hospital, Bern, 4Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Clinic Barmelweid, Barmelweid, Switzerland Abstract: The aim of this prospective study was to examine to what extent anxiety and depressive symptoms predict the level of pain at 4-month follow-up in hand surgery patients. A total of 132 consecutive patients (mean age: 51.5±17.1 years, 51.9% female) of a tertiary center for hand surgery participated in this study. The patients underwent conservative or operative treatment, depending on the nature of their hand problem. The initial pain assessment included psychometric testing with the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Ninety-nine patients underwent operative treatment and 33 patients were conservatively treated. At 4-month follow-up, the amount of pain was measured with a visual analog scale (0–10). After controlling for age, sex, and pre-surgical pain intensity, depressive symptoms were a significant predictor for increased pain levels at follow-up in conservatively treated patients. In operatively treated patients, anxiety symptoms showed a trend for being a predictor of pain level at follow-up. The findings support the assumption that psychological factors may have an impact on pain outcome in patients presenting to hand surgery clinics. Keywords: chronic pain, hand surgery, depressive symptoms, anxiety

Niklaus Egloff,1 Anna Hirschi,2 Roland von Känel1 1Department of General Internal Medicine, Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; 2Outpatient Clinic for Victims of Torture and War, Swiss Red Cross, Bern-Wabern, Switzerland Abstract: Up to 80% of patients with severe posttraumatic stress disorder are suffering from “unexplained” chronic pain. Theories about the links between traumatization and chronic pain have become the subject of increased interest over the last several years. We will give a short summary about the existing interaction models that emphasize particularly psychological and behavioral aspects of this interaction. After a synopsis of the most important psychoneurobiological mechanisms of pain in the context of traumatization, we introduce the hypermnesia–hyperarousal model, which focuses on two psychoneurobiological aspects of the physiology of learning. This hypothesis provides an answer to the hitherto open question about the origin of pain persistence and pain sensitization following a traumatic event and also provides a straightforward explanatory model for educational purposes. Keywords: posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, hypermnesia, hypersensitivity, traumatization

This overview portrays the salient physiological mechanisms being involved in the clinical manifestation of chronic pain in traumatized patients. A «hypermnesia-hyperarousalmodel» is purported to support the neurophysiologic plausibility of the trauma-pain-relationship. We discuss seven characteristic clinical pain entities which alone or in combination can be found in patients with a previous psychological trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the case of a 48-year old man who, eight years after an industrial accident, presents with chronic right-sided nondermatomal pain and hypaesthesia to heat and touch. During symmetric peripheral touch functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed hypometabolism in the left thalamus, somatosensory cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Pain-associated nondermatomal somatosensory deficits (NDSDs) localizing to one side of the body are a frequent clinical entity, which are often triggered by an accident. The tendency of NDSDs to extend to adjunct ipsilateral body parts and to become chronic points to maladaptive adjustment of pain-processing areas in the central nervous system. Psychological stress prior to or around the triggering event seems an important risk factor for NDSDs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multimodal approach is state-of-the art for effective treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) like irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Based on the now established view that the pathogenesis of FGD is multicausal, evidence-based therapeutic options comprise education about the nature of the disorder, dietary modifications, relaxation techniques, behavioral changes, and pharmacological treatments. These therapies are variously combined depending on the severity of the FGD and the individual needs of the patient. Our overview portrays the options for the therapy of FGD and proposes that these are best provided by an interdisciplinary team of primary care physicians, gastroenterologists, and psychosomatic medicine specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) are highly prevalent worldwide. Recent research demonstrates that complex and interacting biological and behavioral mechanisms contribute particularly to the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Dysregulation of the enteral, neuroenteric, visceral-autonomic, and central nervous systems are important biological contributors, whereas the psychological state of a patient may evidently modulate aspects related to biological stress reactivity and somatic perception both playing a role in the clinical manifestation of FGD. Our overview clearly shows that an interdisciplinary perspective of the pathogenesis of FGD may best serve clinicians and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous somatic pain experience (priming), psychobiographic imprinting (pain proneness), and stress (action proneness) are key to an enhanced centralised pain response. This centralised pain response clinically manifests itself in pain sensitization and chronification. The therapeutic approach to chronic centralised pain disorders is multimodal. The overarching aim of the various interventions of a multimodal treatment program is to activate anti-nociceptive areas of the cerebral matrix involved in pain processing. The lists of medications targeting neuropathic and somatoform pain disorder show considerable overlap. Psychotherapy helps patients with central pain sensitization to improve pain control, emotional regulation and pain behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to official Swiss data an increasing number of HIV-positive migrants reside in Switzerland. The present study examined epidemiologic, clinical, and migration-specific characteristics of HIV-infected migrants at the HIV clinic of the University Hospital of Berne, which is one of the centers of the national, prospective Swiss HIV cohort study. Data were collected by chart review. Among the 1331 patients the proportion of northwestern European patients decreased from 88% before 1989 to 67% in the late 1990s while the number of patients from sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia increased from 3 (1.6%) to 47 (14%) and from 2 (1%) to 17 (5%), respectively. Sub-Saharan Africans and Southeast Asians were more likely to be younger, female, and infected heterosexually. At first clinical visit the various patient groups did not differ in CD4 counts or HIV RNA levels. Sub-Saharan African patients were more likely to be anemic. A majority of HIV-positive migrants were most likely infected prior to arrival in Switzerland. Sub-Saharan Africans and Southeast Asians were often diagnosed to be HIV-positive after showing suggestive symptoms of infection, while European patients were more often diagnosed in a screening setting. Thirteen patients with indication for antiretroviral therapy were forced to leave Switzerland because they were denied asylum. In response to the increasing migrant population attending the HIV clinic, further qualitative and quantitative research is required to improve understanding of this vulnerable population group and to promote their knowledge of the disease and its prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic pain presents a significant treatment challenge, often leading to frustration for both patients and therapists due to the limitations of traditional methods. Research has shown that synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation, as used in the rubber hand experiment, can induce a sense of ownership over a fake body part and reduces pain perception when ownership of the fake body part is reported. The effect of the rubber hand experiment can be extended to the full body, for example, during the full-body illusion, using both visuo-tactile and cardiovisual signals., Objective: This study first aimed to evaluate the usability and accuracy of a novel, mobile virtual reality (VR) setup that displays participants' heartbeats as a flashing silhouette on a virtual avatar, a technique known as the cardiovisual full-body illusion. The second part of the study investigated the effects of synchronous cardiovisual stimulation on pain perception and ownership in 20 healthy participants as compared with asynchronous stimulation (control condition)., Methods: The setup comprised a head-mounted display (HMD) and a heart rate measurement device. A smartphone-based HMD (Samsung Galaxy S8+) was selected for its mobility, and heart rates were measured using smartwatches with photoplethysmography (PPG). The accuracy of 2 smartwatch positions was compared with a 5-point electrocardiogram (ECG) standard in terms of their accuracy (number and percent of missed beats). Each participant underwent two 5-minute sessions of synchronous cardiovisual stimulation and two 5-minute sessions of asynchronous cardiovisual stimulation (total of 4 sessions), followed by pain assessments. Usability, symptoms of cybersickness, and ownership of the virtual body were measured using established questionnaires (System Usability Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, Ownership Questionnaire). Pain perception was assessed using advanced algometric methods (Algopeg and Somedic algometer)., Results: Results demonstrated high usability scores (mean 4.42, SD 0.56; out of 5), indicating ease of use and acceptance, with minimal side effects (mean 1.18, SD 0.46; out of a possible 4 points on the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire). The PPG device showed high heart rate measurement precision, which improved with optimized filtering and peak detection algorithms. However, compared with previous work, no significant effects on body ownership and pain perception were observed between the synchronous and asynchronous conditions. These findings are discussed in the context of existing literature on VR interventions for chronic pain., Conclusions: In conclusion, while the new VR setup showed high usability and minimal side effects, it did not significantly affect ownership or pain perception. This highlights the need for further research to refine VR-based interventions for chronic pain management, considering factors like visual realism and perspective., (© Samuel E J Knobel, Raphael Oberson, Jonas Räber, Narayan Schütz, Niklaus Egloff, Angela Botros, Stephan M Gerber, Tobias Nef, Lukas Heydrich. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (https://games.jmir.org).)

Background: Most patients suffering from chronic pain are more susceptible to pain and pressure due to higher pain sensitivity. Since psychosocial factors play a central role in developing and maintaining chronic pain, investigating associations between pain sensitivity and psychosocial stressors promises to advance the biopsychosocial understanding of chronic pain., Objectives: We aimed to replicate Studer et al.'s (2016) findings about associations of psychosocial stressors with pain sensitivity in a new sample of patients with chronic primary pain (ICD-11, MG30.0)., Methods: A pain provocation test was used on both middle fingers and earlobes to assess pain sensitivity among 460 inpatients with chronic primary pain. Potentially life-threatening accidents, war experiences, relationship problems, certified inability to work, and adverse childhood experiences were assessed as potential psychosocial stressors. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate associations between psychosocial stressors and pain sensitivity., Results: We partially replicated Studer et al.'s findings. Similar to the original study, patients with chronic primary pain showed enhanced pain sensitivity values. Within the investigated group, war experiences (β = 0.160, p < .001) and relationship problems (β = 0.096, p = .014) were associated with higher pain sensitivity. In addition, the control variables of age, sex, and pain intensity also showed a predictive value for higher pain sensitivity. Unlike Studer et al., we could not identify a certified inability to work as a predictor of higher pain sensitivity., Conclusions: This study showed that beyond age, sex, and pain intensity, the psychosocial stressors of war experiences and relationship problems were associated with higher pain sensitivity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Attentional deficits in patients with chronic pain are common and well studied. Yet, few studies have examined the effects of chronic pain on more complex cognitive abilities that rely on well-functioning attentional systems. With the current study, we aimed to investigate whether the impact of chronic pain on attention affects creative ideation as measured with an adaptation of the alternate uses task (AUT)., Methods: Performance in the AUT was compared between 33 patients suffering from chronic pain and 33 healthy matched controls. While solving the task, EEG was recorded to measure the degree of internally directed attention assessed by means of task-related power (TRP) changes., Results: The results revealed that patients with chronic pain generated less creative ideas than healthy controls. This lack of performance was accompanied by lower event-related synchronization (ERS), especially in right parietal sites. Furthermore, these ERS differences explained one-third of the inter-group variance in AUT performance., Conclusions: These results suggest that performance decrements in creative ideation in patients with chronic pain may be at least partly attributable to attentional impairments associated with chronic pain., Significance: Chronic pain negatively affects attention and more complex cognitive abilities. However, the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms and the role of attention as a source of these impairments in more complex abilities are poorly understood. By analyzing task-related power changes in the EEG, the role of internal attention in creative ideation could be determined, revealing the functional relationship between chronic pain, attention, and a more complex cognitive ability., (© 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Pain published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Pain Federation - EFIC ®.)

Introduction: The aim of the present study was (1) to validate the method of guilt-induction by means of a written auto-biographical essay and (2) to test whether experimental pain is apt to alleviate the mental burden of guilt, a concept receiving support from both empirical research and clinical observation., Methods: Three independent groups of healthy male participants were recruited. Group allocation was not randomized but within group pain/sham administration was counterbalanced over the two test-days. Groups were tested in the following consecutive order: Group A: guilt induction, heat-pain/sham, N = 59; Group B: guilt induction, cold-pressure-pain/sham, N = 43; Group C: emotionally neutral induction, heat-pain/sham, N = 39. Guilt was induced on both test-days in group A and B before pain/sham administration. Visual analog scale (VAS) guilt ratings immediately after pain/sham stimulation served as the primary outcome. In a control group C the identical heat-pain experiment was performed like in group A but a neutral emotional state was induced., Results: A consistently strong overall effect of guilt-induction (heat-pain: p < 0.001, effect size r = 0.71; CPT-pain p < 0.001, r = 0.67) was found when compared to the control-condition ( p = 0.25, r = 0.08). As expected, heat- and cold-pressure-stimuli were highly painful in all groups ( p < 0.0001, r = 0.89). However, previous research supporting the hypothesis that pain is apt to reduce guilt was not replicated., Conclusion: Although guilt-induction was highly effective on both test-days no impact of pain on behavioral guilt-ratings in healthy individuals could be identified. Guilt induction per se did not depend on the order of testing. The result questions previous experimental work on the impact of pain on moral emotions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Schär, Vehlen, Ebneter, Schicktanz, de Quervain, Wittmann, Götzmann, grosse Holtforth, Protic, Wettstein, Egloff, Streitberger and Schwegler.)

Although the interrupting effect of chronic pain on voluntary-directed attention is well-documented, research on the impact of chronic pain on involuntary-directed attention remains incomplete. This study aimed to investigate the influence of chronic pain on involuntary as well as voluntary allocation of attention as, respectively, indexed by the P3a and P3b components in the event-related potential derived from the electroencephalogram. Both involuntary and voluntary captures of attention were compared between 33 patients with chronic pain and 33 healthy controls using an auditory three-stimulus oddball task (with standard, target, and unexpected distractor tones). The results revealed a reduced P3a amplitude as well as a reduced P3b amplitude in patients with chronic pain compared to healthy controls, indicating a detrimental effect of chronic pain on involuntary and voluntary attention, respectively. This study extends the picture of the impairing effects of chronic pain on attentional allocation to a current task and attentional allocation to information outside the focus of attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE) describe the expectancies of an individual regarding his or her ability to regulate or reduce negative mood states by certain cognitive or behavioral strategies. NMRE are closely associated with the actual emotion regulation and potentially buffer the negative psychological and physical health consequences of stress. In the context of chronic pain, stress plays a central role, as long-term stress can have additional negative consequences regarding pain and its progression. The present study investigated the relationship of NMRE with treatment outcome, and more importantly, its buffering role in the association between stress and treatment outcomes., Method: Two hundred six chronic pain inpatients (fulfilling the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision [ICD-10] diagnosis of F45.41) of an interdisciplinary treatment completed standardized self-report questionnaires at intake and discharge. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the main effects of the Negative Mood Regulation Scale-Short Form on pain intensity, pain-related disability, and psychological distress as treatment outcomes and its moderating role in the association of stress and the 3 outcome measures., Results: A significant main effect of NMRE on treatment outcome was only found for psychological distress. However, for all 3 outcome measures, a significant moderating effect of NMRE on the association between stress level and treatment outcome was found., Discussion: NMRE appear to play an important role for the outcome of inpatient treatment for chronic pain. Due to their buffering effect on the negative association between stress and therapy outcome, they should be targeted in the treatment of chronic pain., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Entrapment describes a feeling of being stuck in an inescapable aversive situation. This feeling often arises in the context of uncontrollable and/or chronic stress and is associated with various psychopathologies., Objective: Owing to the nature of their disease, also chronic pain, patients might experience their situation as unremitting and inescapable. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of entrapment in patients with a chronic pain disorder and the association of entrapment with treatment outcome., Methods: A total of 189 patients with a chronic pain disorder where psychological factors play a decisive role in its severity, exacerbation, and maintenance (International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10: F45.41, "Chronic pain disorder with somatic and psychologic factors") receiving inpatient care completed a set of standardized self-report questionnaires at intake and discharge of an interdisciplinary pain treatment. To analyze the effects of entrapment on pain-related interference and psychologic distress, hierarchical linear models were used., Results: Over treatment, reduced levels of entrapment were observed, which were associated with decreases in psychologic distress and pain-related interference at discharge., Conclusion: Results support the relevance of entrapment in chronic pain and its treatment. To further improve interdisciplinary pain treatments, entrapment should be assessed and targeted by according interventions., (Copyright © 2021 Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Functional pain disorders are frequent and represent a significant burden in primary care consultations. Scientific advances in neuroscience allow us to understand these syndromes from the perspective of perceptual, vegetative, affective and cognitive dysfunction. Simple tools can be useful in the history and clinical examination, looking specifically for positive signs in favor of a functional pain disorder. It is important to maintain a primary care management, following some principles summarized in expert recommendations. Building a solid trust relationship, a salutogenesis approach and medical and therapeutic deceleration («choose wisely») are to be favored., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

According to consistency theory, insufficient motive satisfaction (motivational incongruence) is associated with psychological distress and mental disorders. High levels of distress and comorbid psychological disorders are common in patients with chronic pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of motivational incongruence in chronic pain patients and the association of incongruence change with symptom improvement. Inpatients with chronic pain in multimodal interdisciplinary treatment (n = 177) completed questionnaires measuring motivational incongruence, psychological distress, pain intensity and pain interference at the beginning and end of a multimodal interdisciplinary inpatient treatment program at a tertiary psychosomatic university clinic. Results demonstrated that pain and motivational incongruence were significantly reduced at post-treatment, and reductions in incongruence were associated with reductions in psychological distress. In particular, better satisfaction of approach motives mediated the association between reduction of pain interference and psychological distress at post-treatment. Findings suggest that a reduction of motivational incongruence may be part of successful treatment of chronic pain.

The Coupling of Pain, Anxiety, and Stress Abstract. There is considerable neurobiological, clinical and epidemiological evidence that the systemic phenomena of anxiety and pain closely interact. Both perceptions trigger stress activation processes and are in turn modulated by long-term stress. This overview illustrates the coupling of pain, anxiety and stress with some clinical examples. The relations shown here should help us to gain a holistic view of the individual patient and his/her psychosocial reality, in which nociceptive, affective and vegetative symptoms are often interdependent and mutually reinforcing each other.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain and a striking discrepancy between objective signs of tissue damage and severity of pain. Function and structural alterations in brain areas involved in pain processing may explain this feature. Previous case-control studies in fibromyalgia focused on acute pain processing using experimentally-evoked pain paradigms. Yet, these studies do not allow conclusions about chronic, stimulus-independent pain. Resting-state cerebral blood flow (rsCBF) acquired by arterial spin labelling (ASL) may be a more accurate marker for chronic pain. The objective was to integrate four different functional and structural neuroimaging markers to evaluate the neural correlate of chronic, stimulus-independent pain using a resting-state paradigm. In line with the pathophysiological concept of enhanced central pain processing we hypothesized that rsCBF is increased in fibromyalgia in areas involved in processing of acute pain. We performed an age matched case-control study of 32 female fibromyalgia patients and 32 pain-free controls and calculated group differences in rsCBF, resting state functional connectivity, grey matter volume and cortical thickness using whole-brain and region of interest analyses. We adjusted all analyses for depression and anxiety. As centrally acting drugs are likely to interfere with neuroimaging markers, we performed a subgroup analysis limited to patients not taking such drugs. We found no differences between cases and controls in rsCBF of the thalamus, the basal ganglia, the insula, the somatosensory cortex, the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulum and supplementary motor area as brain areas previously identified to be involved in acute processing in fibromyalgia. The results remained robust across all neuroimaging markers and when limiting the study population to patients not taking centrally acting drugs and matched controls. In conclusion, we found no evidence for functional or structural alterations in brain areas involved in acute pain processing in fibromyalgia that could reflect neural correlates of chronic stimulus-independent pain., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The sociolinguistic meaning of hand and nerves and their emotional expression Abstract. This article on the sociolinguistic occurrence of the hand and nerves in our everyday language reveals that the German language has a rich repertoire of metaphors and proverbs referring to fingers, hands, arms and nerves, expressing our feelings including pain. There are - on the one hand - not only plenty of expressions and phrases describing the physical purpose of the upper extremity, but - on the other hand - also countless metaphorical terms related to psychological, emotional or social contents. In contrast to medical terminology, everyday language does not hesitate to name the psychosocial dimension of things - High five!