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                  Co-Cure Research & Medical posts only
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Date:    Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:44:37 -0400
From:    "Bernice A. Melsky" <bernicemelsky VERIZON.NET>
Subject: RES: Predictive value of brain perfusion SPECT for ketamine  response in hyperalgesic fibromyalgia

Predictive value of brain perfusion SPECT for ketamine response in
hyperalgesic fibromyalgia.

Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007 Mar 13; [Epub ahead of print]

Guedj E, Cammilleri S, Colavolpe C, Taieb D, de Laforte C, Niboyet J,
Mundler O.

Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, Assistance
Publique des Hopitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la
Timone, 264 rue Saint Pierre, 13385, Marseille Cedex 5, France,
eric.guedj ap-hm.fr

PMID: 17431615


PURPOSE: Ketamine has been used successfully in various proportions of
fibromyalgia (FM) patients. However, the response to this specific
treatment remains largely unpredictable. We evaluated brain SPECT perfusion
before treatment with ketamine, using voxel-based analysis. The objective
was to determine the predictive value of brain SPECT for ketamine response.

METHODS: Seventeen women with FM (48 ± 11 years; ACR criteria) were
enrolled in the study. Brain SPECT was performed before any change was made
in therapy in the pain care unit. We considered that a patient was a good
responder to ketamine if the VAS score for pain decreased by at least 50%
after treatment. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis was performed using SPM2,
in comparison to a group of ten healthy women matched for age.

RESULTS: The VAS score for pain was 81.8 ± 4.2 before ketamine and 31.8
± 27.1 after ketamine. Eleven patients were considered "good responders"
to ketamine. Responder and non-responder subgroups were similar in terms of
pain intensity before ketamine. In comparison to responding patients and
healthy subjects, non-responding patients exhibited a significant reduction
in bilateral perfusion of the medial frontal gyrus. This cluster of
hypoperfusion was highly predictive of non-response to ketamine (positive
predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 91%).

CONCLUSION: Brain perfusion SPECT may predict response to ketamine in
hyperalgesic FM patients.

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Date:    Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:50:07 -0400
From:    "Bernice A. Melsky" <bernicemelsky VERIZON.NET>
Subject: RES: Abnormal brain processing of affective and sensory pain descriptors in chronic pain patients

Abnormal brain processing of affective and sensory pain descriptors in
chronic pain patients.

J Affect Disord. 2007 Apr 13; [Epub ahead of print]

Sitges C, Garcia-Herrera M, Pericas M, Collado D, Truyols M, Montoya P.

Department of Psychology, University of Balearic Islands, Spain; Research
Institute on Health Sciences (IUNICS), Palma, Spain.

PMID: 17434596


OBJECTIVE: Previous research has suggested that chronic pain patients might
be particularly vulnerable to the effects of negative mood during
information processing. However, there is little evidence for abnormal
brain processing of affective and sensory pain-related information in
chronic pain. Behavioral and brain responses, to pain descriptors and
pleasant words, were examined in chronic pain patients and healthy controls
during a self-endorsement task.

METHODS: Eighteen patients with fibromyalgia (FM), 18 patients with chronic
musculoskeletal pain due to identifiable physical injury (MSK), and 16
healthy controls were asked to decide whether word targets described their
current or past experience of pain. The number of self-endorsed words,
elapsed time to endorse the words, and event-related potentials (ERPs)
elicited by words, were recorded.

RESULTS: Data revealed that chronic pain patients used more affective and
sensory pain descriptors, and were slower in responding to self-endorsed
pain descriptors than to pleasant words. In addition, it was found that
affective pain descriptors elicited significantly more enhanced positive
ERP amplitudes than pleasant words in MSK pain patients; whereas sensory
pain descriptors elicited greater positive ERP amplitudes than affective
pain words in healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS: These data support the notion of abnormal information
processing in chronic pain patients, which might be characterized by a lack
of dissociation between sensory and affective components of pain-related
information, and by an exaggerated rumination over word meaning during the
encoding of self-referent information about pain.

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Date:    Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:55:34 -0400
From:    Co-Cure Moderator <ray CO-CURE.ORG>
Subject: MED: Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This?

Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This?

by Kent Holtorf, MD


[Dr. Kent Holtorf, MD, is Medical Director of the Holtorf Medical Group
Center for Hormone Imbalance, Hypothyroidism, and Fatigue in Torrance,
California.* He specializes in treating CFS and FM patients.]

A question that is often raised by patients is "Why doesn't my doctor know
all of this?" The reason is that the overwhelming majority (all but a few
percent) of physicians (endocrinologists, internists, family practitioners,
rheumatologists, etc.) do not read medical journals. When asked, most
doctors will claim that they routinely read medical journals, but this has
been shown not to be the case.

The reason is multi-factorial, but it comes down to the fact that the
doctors do not have the time. They are too busy running their practices.
The overwhelming majority of physicians rely on what they learned in
medical school and on pharmaceutical sales representatives to keep them
"up-to-date" on new drug information. Obviously, the studies brought to
physicians for "educational purposes" are highly filtered to support their
product.

There has been significant concern by health care organizations and experts
that physicians are failing to learn of new information presented in
medical journals and lack the ability to translate that information into
treatments for their patients. The concern is essentially that doctors
erroneously rely on what they have previously been taught and don't change
treatment philosophies as new information becomes available. This is
especially true for endocrinological conditions, where physicians are very
resistant to changing old concepts of diagnosis and treatment despite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary, because it is not what they were
taught in medical school and residency.

Read the complete article at
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=7891

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Date:    Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:42:48 -0400
From:    Fred Springfield <fredspringfield VERIZON.NET>
Subject: RES: The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria.

Journal:  Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3, 461-474 (2007)

Authors and affiliations:
Mary Gloriac C. Njoku
DePaul University, USA,
nmgloria depaul.edu

Leonard A. Jason
DePaul University, USA

Susan R. Torres-Harding
Roosevelt University, USA

NLM Citation: PMID: 17439996


The present study found adult rates of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in
Nigeria that were somewhat higher than rates from community-based CFS
epidemiologic studies in the USA. The rates of chronic fatigue for both
adults and children were also higher than in existing community-based studies.

It is possible that the presence of several fatiguing illnesses such as
malaria and typhoid, the lack of adequate healthcare resources and poverty
in Nigeria, place individuals at greater risk for fatigue and its syndromes.

There is a need for more epidemiologic studies on the prevalence and
sociodemographic characteristics of CFS in developing countries.


Key Words: Africa • community-based research • epidemiology • international
study

© 2007 SAGE Publications

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Date:    Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:48:59 +0100
From:    counsellingme3 <counsellingme YAHOO.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: RES: The Infection Connection

The Infection Connection - an article in Psychology Today

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-19990701-000031&page=1

"Now, decades later, infection has emerged as a prime suspect in
psychological illnesses. The inadequacy of genetic and experiential
explanations has prompted scientists to look elsewhere--and their gaze has
come to rest on physical ailments, such as heart disease, cancers and
ulcers, that in some cases have an infectious origin. Could the same be
true, they wonder, for mental and emotional ills?"

Peter Kemp

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Date:    Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:58:09 +0200
From:    "Dr. Marc-Alexander Fluks" <fluks COMBIDOM.COM>
Subject: RES,NOT: Advances in Pain Research 2007

Source: NIH
Date:   April 2007
URL:    http://painconsortium.nih.gov

        http://edjassociates.com/pain2007/home.asp


Pain Consortium Symposium: Advances in Pain Research 2007
---------------------------------------------------------
May 1, 2007 - NIH Masur Auditorium, Builing 10, Clinical Center, Bethesda

The intent of the symposium is to present new and exciting advances in pain
research and pain management, featuring work done through NIH support. Topics
will include mechanisms and management of neuropathic pain, visceral pain,
inflammatory pain, and treatment-induced pain. A poster session will include a
broad selection of current pain research findings presented by young
investigators. Members of the extramural scientific community, the NIH
scientific community, health care providers, and the public are invited to
attend. The event will be hosted by the co-Chairs of the NIH Pain Consortium.

Symposium Location
National Institutes of Health
Masur Auditorium
Building 10, Clinical Center
Bethesda, MD 20892

The symposium will be videocast live and archived at http://videocast.nih.gov

Parking on the NIH Campus is very limited. Please plan to take public
transportation (the Metro subway system) or taxicabs to the Symposium. In
addition, please have a government issued photo I.D., such as a driver's
licenseor passport, which will be required to enter the campus.

The Masur Auditorium is fully accessible-if you have special needs, please
indicate these on the registration from, so that appropriate accommodations
can be arranged.


Registration Fee

There is no charge to attend the symposium and it is open to the public.


Registration for the Symposium

General Attendees - Please register to attend the symposium. Go to the
Registration page link. For assistance in locating hotel accommodations near the
NIH campus, please click on the Hotel Information page.

Federal Government Attendees - Please register to attend the symposium.

Invited Speakers - Travel costs for invited speakers will be paid by EDJ
Associates, Inc., contractor for NINDS. All speakers have been contacted
directly by EDJ staff to facilitate travel arrangements. No registration on
this site is needed.

Invited Poster Presenters - Travel costs for poster presenters will be paid by
EDJ Associates. All poster presenters have been contacted directly by EDJ staff
to facilitate travel arrangements. No registration on this site is needed.

We look forward to seeing you at the Pain Consortium Symposium: Advances in
Pain Research 2007.

If you have questions or comments about the Symposium, contact us at
pain2007 edjassociates.com

--------
(c) 2007 NIH

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Date:    Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:58:37 -0400
From:    "Bernice A. Melsky" <bernicemelsky VERIZON.NET>
Subject: RES: Neck and back pain: musculoskeletal disorders

Neck and back pain: musculoskeletal disorders.

Neurol Clin. 2007 May;25(2):419-38.

Meleger AL, Krivickas LS.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School
and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02114, USA.

PMID: 17445737


In this article, non-neurologic causes of neck and back pain are reviewed.
Musculoskeletal pain generators include muscle, tendon, ligament,
intervertebral disc, articular cartilage, and bone.

Disorders that can produce neck and back pain include muscle strain,
ligament sprain, myofascial pain, fibromyalgia, facet joint pain, internal
disc disruption, somatic dysfunction, spinal fracture, vertebral
osteomyelitis, and polymyalgia rheumatica. Atlantoaxial instability and
atlanto-occipital joint pain are additional causes of neck pain.

Back pain resulting from vertebral compression fracture, Scheuermann's
disease, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, pregnancy, Baastrup's
disease, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and sacral stress fracture is discussed.

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Date:    Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:58:04 +0200
From:    "Dr. Marc-Alexander Fluks" <fluks COMBIDOM.COM>
Subject: RES: CFS/ME & FM papers, published since March 2007

Source: NCBI PubMed
Date:   April 20, 2007
URL:    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
        Topic=((chronic fatigue) OR (myalgic encephalomyelitis)) OR fibromyalgia

Ref:    In the update, you will only find journals that are indexed by
        Medline (PubMed).
        All scientific papers 1938-today,
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        http://www.me-net.combidom.com/library/literature.htm#publications
                     
                     
                     
                     
                     
                     
                      
        http://www.me-net.combidom.com/library/literature.htm#catalogue
        Figures computer analysis scientific papers,
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        http://www.me-net.combidom.com/library/literature.htm#figure

        All popular papers 1900-today,

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        http://www.me-net.combidom.com/library/literature.htm#popular


CFS/ME & FM papers, published since March 2007
----------------------------------------------

___ Njoku MG, Jason LA, Torres-Harding SR.
       The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria.
       J Health Psychol. 2007 May;12(3):461-74.
___ Van Hootegem H.
       Can homeopathy learn something from psychoanalysis?
       Homeopathy. 2007 Apr;96(2):108-12.
___ Guedj E, Cammilleri S, Colavolpe C, Taieb D, de Laforte C, Niboyet J,
       Mundler O.
       Predictive value of brain perfusion SPECT for ketamine response in
       hyperalgesic fibromyalgia.
       Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007 Mar 13.
___ Kuchinad A, Schweinhardt P, Seminowicz DA, Wood PB, Chizh BA, Bushnell MC.
       Accelerated brain gray matter loss in fibromyalgia patients: premature
       aging of the brain?
       J Neurosci. 2007 Apr 11;27(15):4004-7.
___ Gil Yubero J, Llensa Cubarsi I, Mas Marques M, Bunuel Alvarez JC.
       Comorbidity recorded in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia at a
       primary care centre [Spanish].
       Aten Primaria. 2007 Apr;39(4):217.
___ Heffez DS, Ross RE, Shade-Zeldow Y, Kostas K, Morrissey M, Elias DA,
       Shepard A.
       Treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with the fibromyalgia
       syndrome: outcomes and implications.
       Eur Spine J. 2007 Apr 11.
___ Knoop H, Bleijenberg G, Gielissen MF, van der Meer JW, White PD.
       Is a full recovery possible after cognitive behavioural therapy for
       chronic fatigue syndrome?
       Psychother Psychosom. 2007;76(3):171-6.
___ Wyller VB.
       The chronic fatigue syndrome - an update.
       Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 2007;187:7-14.
___ Clauw DJ.
       Fibromyalgia: Update on Mechanisms and Management.
       J Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Apr;13(2):102-109.
___ Arshad A, Ooi KK.
       Awareness and Perceptions of Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Survey of
       Southeast Asian Rheumatologists.
       J Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Apr;13(2):59-62.
___ Repp ME.
       More points about fibromyalgia.
       Nursing. 2007 Apr;37(4):8.
___ Cook DB, O'connor PJ, Lange G, Steffener J.
       Functional neuroimaging correlates of mental fatigue induced by
       cognition among chronic fatigue syndrome patients and controls.
       Neuroimage. 2007 Mar 3.
___ Jones KD, Deodhar AA, Burckhardt CS, Perrin NA, Hanson GC, Bennett RM.
       A Combination of 6 Months of Treatment with Pyridostigmine and
       Triweekly Exercise Fails to Improve Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I
       Levels in Fibromyalgia, Despite Improvement in the Acute Growth Hormone
       Response to Exercise.
       J Rheumatol. 2007 Apr 1.
___ Garcia-Campayo J, Pascual A, Alda M, Gonzalez Ramirez MT.
       Coping with fibromyalgia: Usefulness of the Chronic Pain Coping
       Inventory-42.
       Pain. 2007 Mar 30.
___ Wyller VB, Due R, Saul JP, Amlie JP, Thaulow E.
       Usefulness of an abnormal cardiovascular response during low-grade
       head-up tilt-test for discriminating adolescents with chronic fatigue
       from healthy controls.
       Am J Cardiol. 2007 Apr 1;99(7):997-1001.
___ White PD, Sharpe MC, Chalder T, DeCesare JC, Walwyn R; PACE trial group.
       Protocol for the PACE trial: a randomised controlled trial of adaptive
       pacing, cognitive behaviour therapy, and graded exercise, as
       supplements to standardised specialist medical care versus standardised
       specialist medical care alone for patients with the chronic fatigue
       syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis or encephalopathy.
       BMC Neurol. 2007 Mar 8;7:6.
___ Kirsch A, Bernardy K.
       Fibromyalgia, Facial Expression and Emotional Experience.
       Psychopathology. 2007 Mar 29;40(4):203-208.
___ Kashikar-Zuck S, Lynch AM, Graham TB, Swain NF, Mullen SM, Noll RB.
       Social functioning and peer relationships of adolescents with juvenile
       fibromyalgia syndrome.
       Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Mar 29;57(3):474-480.
___ Arnold LM, Goldenberg DL, Stanford SB, Lalonde JK, Sandhu HS, Keck PE Jr,
       Welge JA, Bishop F, Stanford KE, Hess EV, Hudson JI.
       Gabapentin in the treatment of fibromyalgia: A randomized, double-
       blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.
       Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Mar 28;56(4):1336-1344.
___ Muller W, Schneider M, Joos T, Hsu HY, Stratz T.
       Subgroups of fibromyalgia [German].
       Schmerz. 2007 Mar 29.
___ Karper WB.
       Fibromyalgia, cognitive problems and independence: physical activity
       may be useful in home health care.
       Home Health Care Serv Q. 2007;26(1):19-28.
___ Ojima K, Watanabe N, Narita N, Narita M.
       Temporomandibular disorder is associated with a serotonin transporter
       gene polymorphism in the Japanese population.
       Biopsychosoc Med. 2007 Jan 10;1:3.
___ Ullrich PM, Afari N, Jacobsen C, Goldberg J, Buchwald D.
       Cold pressor pain sensitivity in monozygotic twins discordant for
       chronic fatigue syndrome.
       Pain Med. 2007 May-Jun;8(3):216-22.
___ Evans WJ, Lambert CP.
       Physiological basis of fatigue.
       Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 Jan;86(1 Suppl):S29-46.
___ Knoop H, Prins JB, Stulemeijer M, van der Meer JW, Bleijenberg G.
       The effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome
       on self-reported cognitive impairments and neuropsychological test
       performance.
       J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;78(4):434-6.
___ Taiwo OB, Russell IJ, Mignot E, Lin L, Michalek JE, Haynes W, Xiao Y,
       Zeitzer JM, Larson AA.
       Normal cerebrospinal fluid levels of hypocretin-1 (orexin A) in
       patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.
       Sleep Med. 2007 Apr;8(3):260-5.

--------
(c) 2007 NCBI PubMed

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Date:    Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:17:22 -0400
From:    "Bernice A. Melsky" <bernicemelsky VERIZON.NET>
Subject: RES: Pregabalin augmentation of quetiapine therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: an open-label, prospective trial

Pregabalin augmentation of quetiapine therapy in the treatment of
fibromyalgia: an open-label, prospective trial.

Pharmacopsychiatry. 2007 Mar;40(2):68-71.

Calandre EP, Morillas-Arques P, Rodriguez-Lopez CM, Rico-Villademoros F,
Hidalgo J.

Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.

PMID: 17447176


INTRODUCTION: Quetiapine [U.S. brand name: Seroquel] has been shown to
improve fibromyalgia symptoms, especially sleep disturbance, fatigue,
morning stiffness, and mental well-being, but lacks an effect on pain. The
purpose of this study was to evaluate if pregabalin [U.S. brand name:
Lyrica], which has shown antialgic activity in fibromyalgia, added to
quetiapine treatment additionally improved fibromyalgia symptomatology.

METHODS: This was an open-label, 12-week study. Pregabalin was administered
to 19 female fibromyalgia patients at a starting dose of 75 mg/day
subsequently adjusted in according to the drug's efficacy and tolerability.
Outcome measures included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State
and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the SF-12 Health Survey.

RESULTS: Data analysis was done on the Intention-To-Treat sample which
included 18 patients. Pregabalin significantly improved the pain and
tiredness after awakening subscales of the FIQ as well as the physical
component of the SF-12. Six patients withdrew from the study, 3 because of
side effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the use of pregabalin can be a useful
augmentation strategy in fibromyalgia patients partially responding to
quetiapine.

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Date:    Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:36:47 -0400
From:    "Judith Wisdom <Wisdomjf@aol.com> via Co-Cure Moderator"
Subject: Re: RES: Pregabalin augmentation of quetiapine therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: an open-label, prospective trial


As one of the many ME/CFS patients who suffers terribly with pain I do want
to warn people that the drug mentioned in this post (read the post at
http://listserv.nodak.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0704d&L=co-cure&P=296) on
CO-CURE might very well relieve some of the other rotten symptoms of fibromyalgia
besides that of pain. If so it might still be worthwhile. BUT, please check
out the frequent side effects of this drug in many: huge increase in
appetite with concomitant fast weight gain and difficulty of staying away from
offending foods AND, quite a bit more worrisome, is that like many psychotropics
(especially those used to treat schizophrenia) it can cause tardive
dyskinesia. That is a disorder of uncontrollable movement usually of the mouth and
possibly tongue, which doesn't necessarily stop when the drug is. If you must
take it, as with other drugs, you accept that risk; but those aren't risks
that most people would like see happen to them (especially the latter). And
abstracts about research into such drugs should also mention side effects not
just main effects, since they are all effects of the drug, Seroquel/quetiapine.

Those risks may be dose related and MAY be mitigated when used with
Pregabalin, but the abstract doesn't say.

Judith Wisdom


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End of Co-Cure Weekly Digest of research and medical posts only - 16 Apr 2007 to 23 Apr 2007

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