Fibromialgia: aspectos clínicos e ocupacionais

Electroencephalographic Evaluation in Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review

Introduction. The evaluation of individuals with fibromyalgia is challenging. Electroencephalography is a promising resource for identifying physiological biomarkers in fibromyalgia, contributing to its diagnosis. Objective. To review studies involving the use of electroencephalography to evaluate individuals with fibromyalgia. Method. A systematic review of studies published in the PubMed, Lilacs, and SciELO databases from 2001 to 2020 was conducted. The keywords used were electroencephalogram, electroencephalography, and fibromyalgia. The database search complied with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Results. A total of 136 articles were identified after a database search using the keywords "fibromyalgia" AND "electroencephalography", and 131 articles were found using the keywords "fibromyalgia" AND "electroencephalogram" (EEG). In the end, 20 articles remained after applying the exclusion criteria. The data was organized into subcategories related to the form of use, protocols, electroencephalographic findings in patients with fibromyalgia, and the EEG analysis method. Conclusion. Electroencephalography is a promising method for identifying and characterizing biomarkers for fibromyalgia.

Exploring the Relationship between Fibromyalgia-Related Fatigue, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are varied, including general muscle pain and pain at specific points (also called tender points), excessive fatigue, anxiety, depression, and some psychological problems that can have a negative impact on quality of life. Physical activity is a widely used option by health professionals to alleviate the effects of this syndrome. However, there is no clear information on the possible mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life, and to investigate the mediating role of physical activity in patients with this syndrome. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 237 Portuguese women aged 28 to 75 years (M = 49.12; SD ± 8.87) and 117 Brazilian women aged 20 to 69 years (M = 46.72; SD ± 8.38) were recruited to participate in this study. These patients completed three valid and reliable questionnaires related to the assessment of fibromyalgia-related fatigue (MDF-Fibro-17), physical activity (IPAQ), and quality of life (SF-36). Results: Both samples had scores above the midpoint for all dimensions of fibromyalgia-related fatigue and scores below the midpoint for quality of life. Physical activity had no mediating effect in either sample, as the total indirect effect was not significant. Conclusions: Physical activity does not mediate the relationship between fatigue and quality of life. However, the results also show that the fatigue dimensions associated with fibromyalgia had a negative and significant association with physical and mental health indicators in both samples. Thus, patients with FM with higher scores on fatigue-related symptoms might suffer more from physical and mental health, both of which are related to quality of life.