Cognitive behavioural therapy improves brain's perception of fibromyalgia pain

Patients suffering from fibromyalgia, a disease that primarily affects women and is characterised by persistent pain, exhaustion, and brain fog, frequently have few therapeutic options and explanations for their symptoms. According to researchers at Mass General Brigham, cognitive behavioural therapy can significantly reduce the burden of FM by, in part, reducing pain-catastrophizing, a negative cognitive and emotional response that can intensify pain through feelings of helplessness, rumination, and intrusive thoughts. “In this study, we looked at the interplay between psychological processes and the brain's connectivity patterns in response to pain,” said co-senior author Robert Edwards, PhD, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “Prior to participants undergoing CBT, we saw that certain parts of the brain linked to self-awareness and sensation were very connected, suggesting patients were pertinently aware of the pain sensation they were experiencing and internalized these symptoms,” said co-first author Jeungchan Lee, PhD, an instructor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation based at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia involve long-standing patterns of changes in the central nervous system, and CBT is one among many treatment options, such as medication and physical therapy, that we know can be beneficial for those living with FM.”