Developing Biomarkers for Fibromyalgia

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria

for Fibromyalgia Volunteers:

• Has met American College of Rheumatology (1990) criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia for at least 1 year
• Chronic pain more than 50% of days
• Willing to limit introduction of any new medications or treatments for fibromyalgia during the study
• Able to attend study visits up to three times weekly
• Right-handed
• Be capable of giving written informed consent

Inclusion criteria

for Healthy Volunteers:

• Willing to refrain from alcohol intake for 48 hours prior to brain scans
• Be right handed
• Be capable of giving written informed consent

PET Inclusion Criteria:

• Willing to refrain from alcohol intake 48 hours prior to brain scans
• Capable of giving written consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

for Fibromyalgia Volunteers:

• Knowledge that could prevent "blinding" of the participant to the study interventions (including previous acupuncture treatment)
• Presence of a known coagulation abnormality, thrombocytopenia, or bleeding diathesis that may preclude the safe use of acupuncture
• Autoimmune or inflammatory disease (in addition to fibromyalgia) that causes pain (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease)
• Daily use of narcotic pain-relievers
• History of substance abuse
• Simultaneous participation in other therapeutic trials
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Current severe psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, major depression with suicidal ideation)
• Condition that may make exposure to fMRI medically inadvisable
• Any condition that may prevent satisfactory completion of the study protocol

Exclusion for Healthy Volunteers:

• Autoimmune or inflammatory disease (in addition to fibromyalgia) that causes pain (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease)
• Having met the ACR criteria for FM
• Simultaneous participation in other therapeutic trials
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Current severe psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, major depression with suicidal ideation)
• Condition that may make exposure to fMRI medically inadvisable
• Any condition that may prevent satisfactory completion of the study protocol

PET Exclusion Criteria:

• Meets any of the fMRI exclusion criteria
• Current major depression
• Condition that may make exposure to PET medically inadvisable