Fibro Symptoms Linked to a Brain Chemical

by Marilyn Mackenzie

A few weels agp. an email arrived in my inbox that I ignored. I finally read and thought I should share, in case you missed it too.

From Fibromyalgia Network News:

Reduced Hippocampal Function in Fibromyalgia
Posted: September 30, 2008 on Fibromyalgia Network News web site
Research funded by the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association (AFSA) brings scientists closer to understanding what is happening in the brains of people with fibromyalgia. Lead investigator Patrick Wood, M.D., found an essential brain substance was significantly lower in the hippocampus region in a group of fibromyalgia patients, compared to age-matched healthy controls.
The hippocampus plays an essential role in memory and learning, pain regulation, and toning down the body's response to stress. Given that fibromyalgia patients have cognitive difficulties, severe pain, and a hyperactive stress response, Wood hypothesized that he would find abnormalities in the hippocampus using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) imaging.

To read the rest of the article, click here: Latest News

I wonder if they'll ever find out the real cause of fibromyalgia. I hope they do, because we all know how difficult it is to merely treat symptoms. We have to know the causes to properly treat the ailment.

Comments: 9

Connie C. Oct 18, 2008, 7:09pm EDT

I hope they find out what causes it as well. There are many health related problems that they still do not have answers to though.

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Marilyn M. Oct 18, 2008, 7:19pm EDT

I know. And each one is difficult to treat...when you're merely treating symptoms and not discovering the causes.

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Anne Marie A. Oct 18, 2008, 7:44pm EDT

hmmm, I can't get the link to work but I will try it again later. My question would also be why does the cold, damp weather make the pain worse

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Deloris Wright Oct 18, 2008, 8:27pm EDT

I have known several people with that. and were in a lot of pain

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Marilyn M. Oct 18, 2008, 9:17pm EDT

Anne, the link works for me. This is the URL:
http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-news.php

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Dorothy H. Oct 18, 2008, 9:17pm EDT

Thanks for the article.

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Jim W. Oct 18, 2008, 9:21pm EDT

Anne Marie, I just tried the link and it worked perfectly. Please try again - the interest of you, and others like you is part of what till ultimately lead to knowing the cause.

The link worked for me, and for the moment I'm still running Windows 98 so it should certainly work for you.

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Angela A. Oct 19, 2008, 1:25pm EDT

I read this article and what you say at the end of this raises many questions for me about properly managing this ailment so to speak yes I know it is a mayjor problem for a lot of people but I am trying to put the Desiease in to some kind of proper kind perspective sence a family member of mine has this problem. I get angery when the problem hinders opthers lives who do not have the problem but it is never at the one thst has it. My beef with things is at the problem itself. It may be that this is like cancer we may never know how to treat it effectivly for a lot more years that might not even be in our time. One can hope though.

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Sandy (back in Ohio...blah!) Oct 23, 2008, 1:25pm EDT

I wonder if they will ever find the real cause as well. It would be nice to know. Than they could start working on a cure.

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Fibro Symptoms Linked to a Brain Chemical

Comments: 9

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