Review of Cognitive Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia: A Convergence on Working Memory and Attentional Control Impairments

Clinical and laboratory evidence confirm that dyscognition is a real and troubling symptom in fibromyalgia (FM), and that the cognitive mechanisms most affected in FM are working memory, episodic memory, and semantic memory. Recent evidence provides further convergence on specific difficulty with attentional control. Dyscognition in FM cannot be attributed solely to concomitant psychiatric conditions such as depression and poor sleep, but does seem to be related to the level of pain. This article presents recent contributions regarding the etiology of the cognitive dysfunction, its impact on patients, and highlights the need for further research on this facet of FM.