Open AccessSlow‐Frequency rTMS Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain
Author(s) -
Sampson Shirlene M.,
Rome Jeffrey D.,
Rummans Teresa A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2006.00106.x
Subject(s) - transcranial magnetic stimulation , fibromyalgia , medicine , electroconvulsive therapy , antidepressant , depression (economics) , dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , chronic pain , physical therapy , anesthesia , psychiatry , prefrontal cortex , anxiety , stimulation , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , cognition , economics , macroeconomics
Objective. Evidence suggests that fibromyalgia (FM) is a centrally mediated pain disorder. Antidepressants, including electroconvulsive therapy, provide some symptomatic relief in FM and other pain disorders. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a new antidepressant treatment, which may also be useful in treating chronic pain. Design. As part of a larger study, four women with depression, FM, and borderline personality disorder received 1‐Hz rTMS applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Subjects rated pain using an 11‐point Likert scale. Results. Pretreatment pain averaged 8.2 (7–9.5) and reduced to 1.5 (0–3.5) after treatment ( P < 0.009). All had improvement in pain, and two had complete resolution of pain. Only one of the four subjects had an antidepressant response. Conclusions. These preliminary findings suggest a possible role for rTMS in treating FM.