Autonomic activation and pain in response to low-grade mental stress in fibromyalgia and shoulder/neck pain patients

We found abnormal cardiovascular responses to a 60 min long stressful task in fibromyalgia patients. Furthermore, we found a negative association between the heart rate response and the pain which developed during the stressful task in the fibromyalgia group, possibly a result of reduced stress-induced analgesia for fibromyalgia patients.