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Table 2 Controlled studies of stress testing using the tilt table or heart rate variability analysis in patients with fibromyalgia

From: Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia. Stress, the stress response system, and 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