Role of Neuro-Immune Interaction in Chronic Pain Conditions; Functional Somatic Syndrome, Neurogenic Inflammation, & Peripheral Neuropathy, 2022,Meade

Abstract
Functional somatic syndromes are increasingly diagnosed in chronically ill patients presenting with an array of symptoms not attributed to physical ailments. Conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome, or irritable bowel syndrome are common disorders that belong in this broad category.

Such syndromes are characterised by the presence of one or multiple chronic symptoms including widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, and abdominal pain, amongst other issues. Symptoms are believed to relate to a complex interaction of biological and psychosocial factors, where a definite aetiology has not been established.

Theories suggest causative pathways between the immune and nervous systems of affected individuals with several risk factors identified in patients presenting with one or more functional syndromes. Risk factors including stress and childhood trauma are now recognised as important contributors to chronic pain conditions. Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse during childhood is considered a severe stressor having a high prevalence in functional somatic syndrome suffers.

Such trauma permanently alters the biological stress response of the suffers leading to neuroexcitatory and other nerve issues associated with chronic pain in adults. Traumatic and chronic stress results in epigenetic changes in stress response genes, which ultimately leads to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, the autonomic nervous system, and the immune system manifesting in a broad array of symptoms. Importantly, these systems are known to be dysregulated in patients suffering from functional somatic syndrome. Functional somatic syndromes are also highly prevalent co-morbidities of psychiatric conditions, mood disorders, and anxiety.

Consequently, this review aims to provide insight into the role of the nervous system and immune system in chronic pain disorders associated with the musculoskeletal system, and central and peripheral nervous systems.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/15/8574

 

How to say simultaneously ‘we know exactly what is happening’ at the same time as saying ‘we have no idea what is going on’. It would be laughable if it was not so harmful.

A lot of possible effects and a lot of hypothesised causes, this has the same underlying logic as astrology or homeopathy.

 

Another student review.

 

Whenever I see this commonly repeated mantra, I wonder whether anyone has ever read the original research of Imboden (a psychotherapist) on which the dogma seems to be based There seemed to be multitude of flaws.

For one paper they pruned the cohort from the original 600, including 60 women, to 480 males. No explanation was given. This did not prevent them retaining the results for one female in their findings. Perhaps would be psyciatrists were allowed to skip the basis canatomy class. It is stange that for a disease supposed to effect mainly women an all male cohort was considered appropriate. Perhaps Fort Detrick could not supply sufficient females for the research.

There were other problems, but I have forgotten what they were. It waas an edifice built on sand, and all funded by the US Army Chemical Corps.

 

Then these unproven gems -

These stories always sound so good they are becoming more widely believed.

 

This piece is utterly incoherent. It asserts, with unusual aplomb, that ME is a functional somatic syndrome. It prattles on about childhood trauma and prolonged stress along with the usual tropes.

It then jettisons readers out of their seats by presenting on a host of biological anomalies found in the condition, many of which would cast doubt upon the basic BPS hypothesis. Perhaps the intimation is that celestial psychosocial forces cause these changes, but how…? Do the authors not see this inherent contradiction?

It gets better yet!! A nod to the omniscient CBT is made, noting it’s the foremost treatment for Functional Somatic Syndromes. I believe the citation is to some journal of osteopathic medicine. How does something like this get published? It appears it was written by a child. Replete with grammatical errors and beyond discursive. Any idea who these people are?

 

It seems to be a PhD student and a junior lecturer in Sligo, Ireland, who mostly have published on fungal treatments, including a review on using them to treat 'mental health' problems and chronic pain.
At first glance it looks very weird.