Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2012
Decreased intrinsic brain connectivity is associated with reduced clinical pain in fibromyalgia.
A major impediment to the development of novel treatment strategies for fibromyalgia (FM) is the lack of an objective marker that reflects spontaneously reported clinical pain in patients with FM. Studies of resting-state intrinsic brain connectivity in FM have demonstrated increased insular connectivity to the default mode network (DMN), a network whose activity is increased during nontask states. Moreover, increased insular connectivity to the DMN was associated with increased spontaneous pain levels. However, as these analyses were cross-sectional in nature, they provided no insight into dynamic changes in connectivity or their relationship to variations in self-reported clinical pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal changes in the intrinsic brain connectivity of FM patients treated with nonpharmacologic interventions known to modulate pain levels in this patient population, and to test the hypothesis that the reduction of DMN-insula connectivity following therapy would correlate with diminished pain. ⋯ Our findings suggest that intrinsic brain connectivity can be used as a candidate objective marker that reflects changes in spontaneous chronic pain within individual FM patients. We propose that intrinsic connectivity measures could potentially be used in either research or clinical settings as a complementary, more objective outcome measure for use in FM.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2012
ReviewA systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain.
To perform a systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain, and to examine the influence that case definition, prevalence period, and other variables have on prevalence. ⋯ As the population ages, the global number of individuals with low back pain is likely to increase substantially over the coming decades. Investigators are encouraged to adopt recent recommendations for a standard definition of low back pain and to consult a recently developed tool for assessing the risk of bias of prevalence studies.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2012
Brief report: airways abnormalities and rheumatoid arthritis-related autoantibodies in subjects without arthritis: early injury or initiating site of autoimmunity?
To evaluate the presence of pulmonary abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoantibody-positive subjects without inflammatory arthritis. ⋯ Airways abnormalities that are consistent with inflammation are common in autoantibody-positive subjects without inflammatory arthritis and are similar to airways abnormalities seen in patients with early RA. These findings suggest that the lung may be an early site of autoimmune-related injury and potentially a site of generation of RA-related autoimmunity. Further studies are needed to define the mechanistic role of lung inflammation in the development of RA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · May 2012
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialComputed tomography scanning facilitates the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in patients with suspected spondylarthritis: results of a prospective multicenter French cohort study.
To assess the performance of computed tomography (CT) scanning for ascertaining sacroiliitis in patients with suspected spondylarthritis (SpA). ⋯ Definite sacroiliitis was underestimated by radiography, as compared to CT scanning. CT scanning should facilitate the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in patients with suspected SpA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · May 2012
Baseline radiographic damage, elevated acute-phase reactant levels, and cigarette smoking status predict spinal radiographic progression in early axial spondylarthritis.
To assess prospectively the rates and to explore predictors of spinal radiographic progression over 2 years in a cohort of patients with early axial spondylarthritis (SpA). ⋯ The presence of radiographic damage at baseline (syndesmophytes), elevated levels of acute-phase reactants, and cigarette smoking were all independently associated with spinal radiographic progression in patients with early axial SpA.