Paresthesia frequency in fibromyalgia and its effects on personality traits

AimParesthesia and personality disorders are common conditions among patients with fibromyalgia. However, no previous study has examined a possible relation of paresthesia with personality traits in fibromyalgia. This study investigates the frequency of paresthesia in fibromyalgia patients and its relation with personality traits. MethodFemale patients with fibromyalgia (n=101) were divided into two groups according to the presence (n=49; mean age 40.637.62years; range 23-55years) or absence (n=52; mean age 40.507.12years; range 27-53years) of paresthesia. Also, a healthy control group (n=53; mean age 39.34 +/- 5.26years; range 23-55years) was included. The groups were evaluated by the Temperament and Character Inventory. Accordingly, temperament includes four dimensions: harm avoidance, novelty seeking, persistence, reward dependence; and character consists of three dimensions: cooperativeness, self-transcendence, self-directedness. ResultsThere were no significant differences among the three groups in the scores of novelty seeking, persistence, reward dependence and cooperativeness (for all P>0.05). Both fibromyalgia groups had significantly higher scores in harm avoidance and had lower scores in self-directedness compared to the control group (P<0.001). Also, fibromyalgia patients with paresthesia had significantly higher harm avoidance and self-directedness scores than those in patients without paresthesia (P<0.001). In both fibromyalgia groups, self-transcendence scores were similar (P=0.465) but significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.001). ConclusionThis is the first study evaluating the association of paresthesia and personality traits in fibromyalgia. These results suggest that psychological distress associated with high harm avoidance and low self-directedness scores are more prominent in fibromyalgia patients, and especially of those who have paresthesia.