SEX-RELATED DETERMINANTS OF PAIN RESPONSES IN FIBROMYALGIA-FAMILY STUDY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The overall aim of this investigation is to better understand two of the hallmark features of fibromyalgia (FM), i.e., the higher frequency of this disorder among women relative to men and the abnormalities in pain sensitivity shown by persons with FM. Therefore, we will test 7 hypotheses regarding these issues that are derived from an etiopathogenetic model of FM developed by the primary investigators of this application. In order to achieve our overall aim, data on pain sensitivity and blood serum levels of serotonin, as well as genomic DNA, will be obtained from 6 groups of study participants. These groups include: (1) 80 female FM patients (probands); (2) 40 male siblings of the FM patients; (3) 40 female siblings of the FM patients; (4) 80 female, healthy control (FM-free) subjects; (5) 40 male siblings of the control subjects; and (6) 40 female siblings of the control subjects. Empirical support for our hypotheses will provide the first evidence that (a) family history of FM is associated with abnormal responses on multiple measures of pain sensitivity and relatively low blood serum levels of serotonin; and (b) these abnormal pain responses and serotonin levels occur predominantly in the female family members of women with FM.