MDPI Special Issue "Advanced Research on Fibromyalgia"

[Sly Saint]

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and debilitating disorder that manifests with diffuse musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, psychological distress, poor quality of life, sleep issues, and cognitive dysfunction. The global prevalence of fibromyalgia is high and is estimated to occur in between 2 and 8% of the general population. Diagnosis is primarily established clinically, per the American College of Rheumatology 2010 diagnostic criteria. Importantly, there is a paucity of data supporting the use of diagnostic and treatment-related biomarkers of fibromyalgia.

Treatment is often challenging in patients with fibromyalgia, and current therapeutic options often have limited efficacy. To date, there are only three analgesic medications approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of fibromyalgia, including pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran. These medications typically only offer approximately 30% improvement in pain intensity, which is often unsatisfactory in patients with fibromyalgia who suffer from comorbid psychosocial issues, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorders.

This Special Issue welcomes all types of manuscripts providing insight on aspects relevant to basic science and clinical research in fibromyalgia. We are interested in a wide range of work, including pathophysiology, diagnostic biomarkers, treatment-related biomarkers, and outcomes-related research in fibromyalgia. Moreover, we are interested in understanding the epigenetics and genetics of fibromyalgia, specifically genetic mutations, and polymorphisms related to fibromyalgia. Finally, data from clinical trials of therapies for fibromyalgia will be highly appreciated. The Special Issue is open for both basic science and clinical studies and will cover original articles, high-quality reviews, and a limited number of pertinent meta-analyses.

Dr. Ryan S. D'Souza

23 Published papers to date

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biomedicines/special_issues/LCEP7G06NQ

 

[shak8]

My close reading of the major researchers of FM is that the US-FDA-approved drugs for FM offer at most 30% pain reduction to about 1/3 or fewer patients.

(These drugs can have significant side effects and one drug is quite hellish to withdraw from.)

Edited: I lack confidence that this author/editor's proposed issue will yield anything noteworthy because he doesn't have a good grasp of the clinical research (re: FDA drugs and their efficacy for FM symptoms). How could he judge papers others send him?