Pain threshold in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and fibromyalgia

Introduction Pain is a frequent complaint in pediatric practice and is present in several chronic organic diseases, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). While JIA patients show symptoms such as inflammation of the joints and other structures, such as the heart and eyes, patients with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) experience a painful condition that is not associated with presence of tissue injuries. Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM), disorder characterized by recurrence of disabling pain, is a classic example IMP. This study shows preliminary data of a protocol for evaluation of brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) after a painful stimulus produced by pressure.