We propose two studies with the aim of better understanding the role of inhibited functional brain activity (assessed by regional cerebral blood flow [rCBF]) and abnormal pain perception in the etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia (FM). To accomplish this aim, we will test six hypotheses based on an etiopathogenetic model of FM developed in our laboratory. Specifically, we wish to determine whether: (a) functional brain activity in the thalamus and caudate nucleus during resting conditions and behavioral indices of pain perception reliably distinguish FM patients from patient with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or major depression and healthy controls; and (b) FM patients differ from the three comparison groups with respect to changes in functional brain activity in the thalamus, caudate nucleus, appropriate somatosensory cortices, and anterior cyngulate gyrus upon exposure to painful dolorimeter stimulation. We will recruit (a) 30 patients with primary FM by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria; (b) 30 patients with CFS by Centers for Disease Control criteria who are pain-free and do not meet ACR criteria for FM; (c) 30 patients with current major depression who are pain-free and do not meet criteria for other current psychiatric diagnoses or criteria for FM or CFS; and (d) 30 healthy controls who are pain-free and do not meet criteria for FM or CFS. Patients will be recruited from appropriate UAB outpatient clinics and controls will be recruited from the Birmingham community. All subjects will be right-handed women. We propose to measure (a) pain thresholds for dolorimeter stimulation of 5 paired ACR tender points as well as behavioral indices of sensory discrimination ability and response bias; (b) rCBF using single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging; and (c) responses to questionnaire measures of anxiety, depression, and pain as well as a structured psychiatric interview. The proposed studies represent an advance in the study of FM since they include the use of an experimental manipulation as well as correlational studies to evaluate an etiopathogenetic model of FM. The results also will help us to better understand the mechanisms responsible for inhibited functional brain activity observed in FM patients during resting conditions.

Project Start
1999-01-01
Project End
1999-12-31
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
1999-09-30
Support Year
22
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Type
DUNS #
004514360
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294
Wu, Jianming; Xie, Fenglong; Qian, Kun et al. (2011) FAS mRNA editing in Human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Hum Mutat 32:1268-77
Wang, Feng; Ezell, Scharri J; Zhang, Yong et al. (2010) FBA-TPQ, a novel marine-derived compound as experimental therapy for prostate cancer. Invest New Drugs 28:234-41
Wang, Wei; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Velu, Sadanandan E et al. (2009) In vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of novel synthetic makaluvamine analogues. Clin Cancer Res 15:3511-8
Wang, Wei; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Zhao, Yuqing et al. (2009) Novel ginsenosides 25-OH-PPD and 25-OCH3-PPD as experimental therapy for pancreatic cancer: anticancer activity and mechanisms of action. Cancer Lett 278:241-248
Wang, Wei; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Hang, Jie et al. (2009) Anti-lung cancer effects of novel ginsenoside 25-OCH(3)-PPD. Lung Cancer 65:306-11
Wang, Wei; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Hao, Miao et al. (2008) Experimental therapy of prostate cancer with novel natural product anti-cancer ginsenosides. Prostate 68:809-19
Annis, Douglas S; Gunderson, Kristin A; Mosher, Deane F (2007) Immunochemical analysis of the structure of the signature domains of thrombospondin-1 and thrombospondin-2 in low calcium concentrations. J Biol Chem 282:27067-75
Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Ruiwen et al. (2007) Experimental therapy for colon cancer: anti-cancer effects of TLR9 agonism, combination with other therapeutic modalities, and dependence upon p53. Int J Oncol 30:1511-9
Wang, Hui; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Wang, Wei et al. (2006) Immunomodulatory oligonucleotides as novel therapy for breast cancer: pharmacokinetics, in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, and potentiation of antibody therapy. Mol Cancer Ther 5:2106-14
Annis, D S; Murphy-Ullrich, J E; Mosher, D F (2006) Function-blocking antithrombospondin-1 monoclonal antibodies. J Thromb Haemost 4:459-68

Showing the most recent 10 out of 145 publications