Neuropsychological Functioning in Females with Fibromyalgia and Depression: A Comparative Study

By : Sampurna Chakraborty, Bidita Bhattacharya

Page No: 93-102

Abstract
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. It is associated with heterogeneous symptoms like fatigue, non-restorative sleep, psychological distress, particularly depression. Fibromyalgia is often associated with cognitive problems known as fibro-fog. In this study, attention, working memory and executive functioning were assessed using neuropsychological tests – Digit vigilance, Trail making test, Triads test, n-back test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. The sample consisted of 45 females, 15 diagnosed with fibromyalgia, 15 mild-moderate depression, and 15 healthy controls. Fibromyalgia patients showed poorer sustained and divided attention than depression and healthy females. Working memory and executive functioning deficits were also higher in the fibromyalgia group. The result was beneficial to identify the deficit in divided attention and how it interferes with information processing and handling complex stimuli. The study is helpful in understanding fibro-fog and compares the neurocognitive functioning with depression which is often an underlying symptom in fibromyalgia.

Authors :
Sampurna Chakraborty : Assistant Professor – Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bangalore, India.
Bidita Bhattacharya : Associate Professor – Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2023.18.01.10