Table 2

Controlled studies of stress testing using the tilt table or heart rate variability analysis in patients with fibromyalgia

Reference
Type of stress test
Number of patients
Number of controls
Main conclusion

Martinez-Lavin and colleagues, 1997 [18]
Active orthostatic stress
19
19
Orthostatic sympathetic derangement
Bou-Holaigah and colleagues, 1997 [19]
Head-up tilt table test
20 (17 female)
20 (18 female)
Hypotension in 60% of patients (0% in controls)
Raj and colleagues, 2000 [13]
Head-up tilt table test
17
14
Positive test in 64% of patients and 21 controls
Naschitz and colleagues, 2001 [20]
'Discriminant score' during head-up tilt table test
38 (67% female)
30 with chronic fatigue syndrome (58% female), 37 normal (65% female)
Discriminant score different in fibromyalgia versus chronic fatigue syndrome
Friederich and colleagues, 2005 [21]
Mental stress, passive orthostatism
28
15
Less sympathetic activation
Furlan and colleagues, 2005 [16]
Head-up tilt table test, muscular sympathetic nerve activity
16 (15 female)
16 (15 female)
Decreased sympathetic response

Martinez-Lavin Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007 9:216   doi:10.1186/ar2146