A Spanish study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology reports that most women with fibromyalgia report memory problems and difficulty concentrating, and most also suffer from anxiety and depression.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory problems, and mood swings. Researchers believe this condition amplifies painful sensations by affecting how the brain processes pain signals. The condition tends to affect women more than men. Patients often present with cognitive complaints, but doctors are unsure whether this is due to cognitive dysfunction or clinical depression.
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“Despite the widespread acceptance of a high frequency of subjective cognitive complaints in patients with fibromyalgia, very few previous studies have specifically sought to quantify the extent of these complaints in this population,” according to the authors of the study, which took place at Santa Maria Hospital in Lleida, a city in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain.
The study took place between August 2013 and March 2014 and recruited 105 women with fibromyalgia. Researchers conducted neuropsychological assessments, which included measures of attention and executive functions. Patients were assessed by completing questionnaires on various topics, including cognitive complaints, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, physical functioning, sleep quality, and quality of life.
They reported that nearly 83% of the women had cognitive complaints, 23% of which were mild and the remaining 60% moderate to severe. Depressive symptoms were generally described as low working memory capacity and poor daily physical functioning and were more common in women who reported cognitive complaints. Overall, 82% of women had symptoms of depression and 70% had “significant levels of anxiety,” while 68.6% of participants had both depression and anxiety.
“The results of this study confirm that subjective cognitive complaints are very frequent in patients with fibromyalgia, but that they are not exclusively related to depressive symptoms; functional and objective cognitive dysfunction may also be involved in their manifestation,” the researchers wrote. They also urged physicians “not to minimize” their patients’ cognitive complaints.
Related: Short-Term Memory Loss: Causes and Treatments
Author Bio
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University, with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor and also a professional trainer at Canfit, teaching weekly fitness classes. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life and helps others with their personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
