Daily Archives: May 20, 2012

Hypervigilant for Another Reason?

A couple of months ago, I re-blogged a post about Misophonia – a term used to describe the severe reaction that some people have to sounds. Many of us associated with this condition. I am sorry to say that a recent study (published 11 April 2012) did not provide evidence for a behavioural or neuronal manifestation of hypervigilance in patients with FM.

As hypervigilance, as an abnormal increase of attention to external stimuli, has been implicated in chronic pain states, the researchers assumed both attentional performance and pain-induced gamma oscillations to be altered in patients with FM.

The study recorded electroencephalography from ‘normals’ and FM sufferers during an attention demanding visual reaction time task. In 50% of the trials, painful laser stimuli were also applied. The results of self-assessment questionnaires confirm that patients with FM consider themselves hypervigilant towards pain as compared to ‘normals’. However, the experimental findings indicated that the effects of painful stimuli on attentional performance and neuronal gamma oscillations did not differ between both groups.

Yes, there was a significant correlation between the pain-induced modulation of visual gamma oscillations and the pain-induced modulation of reaction times; however, this relationship did not differ between groups either. These findings confirm a close relationship between gamma oscillations and the variable attentional effects of pain, which appear to be comparable in health and disease.

So, still no new answers.

Noise? Light? Smells? Pain? (fibromodem.wordpress.com)

Posted in Fibromyalgia

Model Patient

May 20

Posted by Purple Law Lady

Bianca Embley

While trying to check out famous people who have fibromyalgia, I came across a UK model and actress Bianca Embley. Who? you might ask – I know I sure did. And even looking up her biography, I still have no idea who she is. But I do know that at the age of 32, she was crippled by our best friend, Fibro.

And to get people to know about the condition, Bianca decided to get naked for a calendar. (Note: Instead of PURPLE, the UK has yellow with black spots as their colours)

“I’ve modelled since I was 14 and I’ve managed to do the odd day here and there over the last couple of years. So I had the contacts and wanted to do something that would make an impact and raise awareness of Fibromyalgia,” she was quoted as saying.

She added: “Even though I am used to having my picture taken, it was daunting. At the end of the day I am disabled now. It’s not a visual disability because if you looked at me, apart from my cane, you wouldn’t notice anything.” Stripping down and posing starkers for a charity calendar – to raise funds for Fibromyalgia – seemed the perfect way to face her fears and do some good at the same time.

Her campaign received a warm welcome from a spokesman for the Fibromyalgia Association, who said “Bianca has been determined to reach a wider audience to raise awareness of fibromyalgia and her calendar is certainly going places we have not reached before.” The former air stewardess and part-time model from Warwick, was struck down with the debilitating condition 10 years ago after an accident at work. Bianca has walked with a cane for the past six years and had previously had bouts of being wheelchair-bound when the pain got too much to handle.

Stunned that the illness was not taken seriously, Bianca decided the only way to make the nation sit up and take notice was to get naked!

“We applaud her tenacity in producing the calendar and we are sure this is going to be a successful venture. Fibromyalgia is affecting an estimated two per cent of people in the UK and as yet there are no official guidelines for treatment.”