Electrical Brain Stimulation Might Help Fibromyalgia Patients
By using magnetic brain stimulation on patients with fibromyalgia, French researchers say they were able to improve some of the patients’ symptoms.
Specifically, the technique, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, raised quality of life and emotional and social well-being among patients suffering from the condition, the researchers found in a small study.
"This improvement is associated with an increase in brain metabolism, which argues for a physical cause for this disorder and for the possibility of changes in areas of the brain to improve the symptoms," said lead researcher Dr. Eric Guedj, of Aix-Marseille University and the National Center for Scientific Research, in Marseille.
"Previous studies in patients with fibromyalgia have suggested an alteration of brain areas is involved in the regulation of pain and emotion," he said.
The objective of this study was to demonstrate that it is possible to modulate these brain areas using transcranial magnetic stimulation to correct brain abnormalities and improve patients’ symptoms, Guedj said.
During treatment, patients wear a cap lined with electrodes that send small electric charges to targeted areas of the brain. The idea is to stimulate these areas and alter how they react.
The report was published March 26 in the journal Neurology.
