APIF, version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Autoimmunity-informed Phenotyping In patients with Fibromyalgia syndrome (APIF)
IRAS ID
240099
Contact name
Andreas Goebel
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The causes of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a widespread chronic pain condition, are currently unknown. Therapeutic methods are, therefore unsatisfactory and many patients suffer from unrelenting pain without relief. FMS is associated with additional symptoms, including pain changes at different temperatures, pain to pressure through various part of the body, bowel problems, poor sleep, fatigue and memory problems. Patients can often feel bewildered and distressed by these unexplained symptoms.
Recent research from our group suggests that many patients have substances, ‘autoantibodies’, in their blood, which cause the FMS symptoms; these autoantibodies also determine the temperature at which patients feel most comfortable. There are currently no clinical data that allow us to inform patients about how frequent the temperature dependence of FMS is.
We now wish to find out about patients' own perception of the ambient temperature at which they feel at their best, and how a change in temperature affects their reported other FMS symptoms and their measured sensitivity to pressure.
We anticipate, that the data from this study, together with the results from our previous laboratory tests will allow doctors to better explain the temperature dependence of symptoms to their patients including by putting patients' experienced symptoms into context with information about the situation of other patients who suffer from the same condition; such better information should reduce patient's distress.
We will identify 100 patients with fibromyalgia through the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust Pain Management Program registry and invite them for a single visit, during which we will assess their symptoms of temperature sensitivity, measure their skin mechanical sensitivities at room temperature, and ask them to complete questionnaires and answer some questions about their medical and fibromyalgia history.
REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
18/WA/0234
Date of REC Opinion
13 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion