• Hao-Wen Teng, Jowy Tani, Tsui-San Chang, Hung-Ju Chen, Yi-Chen Lin, Cindy Shin-Yi Lin, and Jia-Ying Sung.
• Department of Neurology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Cheng-Ching Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2021 Aug 1; 120 (8): 1611-1619.

Background/PurposeTo investigate nerve excitability changes in patients with fibromyalgia and the correlation with clinical severity.MethodsWe enrolled 20 subjects with fibromyalgia and 22 sex and age-matched healthy subjects to receive nerve excitability test and nerve conduction study to evaluate the peripheral axonal function.ResultsIn the fibromyalgia cohort, the sensory axonal excitability test revealed increased superexcitability (%) (P = 0.029) compared to healthy control. Correlational study showed a negative correlation between increased subexcitability (%) (r = -0.534, P = 0.022) with fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) score. Computer modeling confirmed that the sensory axon excitability pattern we observed in fibromyalgia cohort was best explained by increased Barrett-Barrett conductance, which was thought to be attributed to paranodal fast K+ channel dysfunction.ConclusionThe present study revealed that paranodal sensory K+ conductance was altered in patients with fibromyalgia. The altered conductance indicated dysfunction of paranodal fast K+ channels, which is known to be associated with the generation of pain.Copyright © 2021 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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