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The following is a summary of “Plasma neurofilament light chain in fibromyalgia: A case control study exploring correlation with clinical and cognitive features,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pain by Ruggieri et al. 

The biomarker for neuronal damage in neurological disorders is the plasma neurofilament light chain (NFL), while elevated tau and β-amyloid levels have been found in patients with fibromyalgia (FM).   

Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing plasma NFL levels in patients with FM to HCs and investigating the correlation between clinical features and cognitive test performance.   

They assessed plasma NFL levels in 33 patients with FM and compared them with 22 age-matched controls. All the participants were evaluated with Clinical scales FM disability, sleep quality and duration, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, a neuropsychological battery assessing executive function, verbal short-term memory, working memory, attentional executive function, selective attention, interference sensitivity, and inhibition of automatic responses was performed.  

The results showed that NFL levels were significantly higher in patients with FM (controls 6.19 ± 1.92 pg/mL; FM 17.28 ± 15.94 pg/mL, ANOVA P = 0.002). Working memory was the most impaired cognitive function and was significantly correlated with high NFL scores (Pearson P = 0.034). Short sleep times also correlated with higher NFL scores (Pearson P = 0.02) and poorer working memory performance (Pearson P = 0.02) and no correlation was found with indices of disease severity or duration.  

They concluded that elevated plasma NFL levels in patients with FM suggested neuronal damage and that it was correlated with impaired working memory and reduced sleep duration. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejp.4752