Fibromyalgia & musculoskeletal pain
Investigation of alexithymia levels in fibromyalgia before and after treatment
Authors' conclusion
Combined duloxetine treatment and aerobic exercise could significantly improve both alexithymia symptoms and pain levels in FMS patients over a six-month period. Higher baseline alexithymia scores were associated with greater improvements in both alexithymia and pain symptoms
Study context
- Population
- Patients with Fibromyalgia (FM) (ACR criteria), Istanbul Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospitalcompleted the study
- Participants
- 100 patients
- Outcome
- Change in alexithymia (TAS-20 total score)
- Follow-up
- 3 and 6 months
Methodological detailssingle-group, repeated measures
- Single-group
- Repeated measures
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
TAS-20 total score
- TAS-20 total at baseline, mean ± SD
- 61.5±7.9
- TAS-20 total at 3 months, mean ± SD
- 57.8±7.6
- TAS-20 total at 6 months, mean ± SD
- 54.2±7.1
- Reduction vs baseline
- p<0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
FM symptoms (Visual Analog Scale (VAS)) · 6 months
- VAS at baseline, mean ± SD
- 7.4±1.2
- VAS at 6 months, mean ± SD
- 4.1±1.3
- Decrease vs baseline
- P < 0.001
Correlation of TAS-20 improvement with VAS reduction
- R
- r=0.41
- P
- P = 0.002
Original publication
Investigation of alexithymia levels in fibromyalgia before and after treatment. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 21 May 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →