PURPOSE To examine the characteristics and healthcare costs of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using a US health-insurance database, we identified all patients, aged > or = 18 years, with any healthcare encounters for FMS (ICD-9-CM diagnosis code 729.1) in each year of the 3-year period, 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2005. A comparison group was then ...

BACKGROUND Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is associated with central alterations, but controversies exist regarding the presence and role of peripheral factors. Microdialysis (MD) can be used in vivo to study muscle alterations in FMS. Furthermore for chronic pain conditions such as FMS, the mechanisms for the positive effects of exercise are unclear. This study investigates the interstitial conce...

BACKGROUND We previously established a mesenchymal stem cell line (FMS/PA6-P) from the bone marrow adherent cells of fetal mice. The cell line expresses a higher level of neural cell adhesion molecule and shows greater hematopoiesis-supporting capacity in mice than other murine stromal cell lines. DESIGN AND METHODS Since there is 94% homology between human and murine neural cell adhesion mol...

In the development and progression of breast cancers, both the c-fms proto-oncogene (which encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor for CSF-1) as well as CSF-1 (colony stimulating factor1), play an important role. Evidence from transgenic models suggests that c-fms encodes for the sole receptor for CSF-1 (Dai et al, 2002). We and others have found that c-fms and/or CSF1 are expressed by the tumor e...

In mining, Fleet Management Systems (FMS) are useful tools for reporting and improving mine efficiency, though comprehensive FMS are expensive to install and maintain. This paper examines an alternative method using a particle filter algorithm to localise a fleet of haul trucks in a mine, providing most of the functionality of a complete FMS without the expensive hardware and installation. Most...

BACKGROUND Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome. A plausible pathogenesis of the disease is uncertain and the pursuit of measurable biomarkers for objective identification of affected individuals is a continuing endeavour in FMS research. Our objective was to perform an explorative metabolomics study (1) to elucidate the global urinary metabolite profile of patients suffering ...

This study aimed to assess the acute toxicity and safety of flavonoid-rich extract from Maydis stigma (FMS) in mice. The in vitro antioxidant activity of FMS was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) scavenging assays. Furthermore, the in vivo antioxidant of FMS against ethanol-induced oxidative damage in mice was deter...

OBJECTIVE Trauma and dissociation tend to be interrelated. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), two conditions that are both characterized by pain and disability. METHODS Patients with a diagnosis of FMS (2 male, 26 female; mean age 42 +/- 11 year...

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic, painful disorder often associated with measurable deficiencies in attention. Since EEG biofeedback (EEG-BF) has been used successfully to treat attention problems, we reasoned that this modality might be helpful in the treatment of attention problems in FMS. We also speculated that improvement in central nervous system (CNS) function might be accompanied by impr...

BACKGROUND This pilot study was designed to test the efficacy of a physical activity program for improving psychological variables and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) symptoms and to provide preliminary evidence regarding the effects on perceived cognitive symptoms and objectively measured cognitive performance by FMS patients. METHODS Sixteen women diagnosed with FMS were randomly assigned to an...