Functional Somatic Syndromes
Authors: Frank Albrecht
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2000)

Letters15 February 2000Functional Somatic SyndromesFrank Albrecht, PhDFrank Albrecht, PhDRegional Clinic at Talbot; Easton, MD 21601 (Albrecht)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-4-200002150-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Barsky and Borus (1) use selective citation and rhetorical devices to bolster their theory of symptom amplification by psychosocial and cognitive factors.Although symptom amplification is the centerpiece of the article, the authors fail to mention studies offering nonbehavioral explanations for symptom amplification. For instance, they do not mention the literature on neural sensitization of pain at the spinal level (2), on sensitization of serotonergic mechanisms (3), on neural sensitization provoked by chemical exposure (4), or on time-dependent sensitization to environmental stressors in invertebrates and in various mammals, including humans (5).The authors' “explanatory model” of symptom ...References1. Barsky AJ, Borus JF. Functional somatic syndromes. Ann Intern Med. 1999;130:910-21. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Bennett RM. Emerging concepts in the neurobiology of chronic pain: evidence of abnormal sensory processing in fibromyalgia. Mayo Clin Proc. 1999;74:385-98. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Post RN, Weiss SR. Sensitization and kindling phenomena in mood, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders: the role of serotonergic mechanisms in illness progression. Biol Psychiatry. 1998;44:193-206. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Sorg BA, Willis JR, Nowatka TC, Ulibarri C, See RE, Westberg HH. Proposed animal neurosensitization model for multiple chemical sensitivity in studies with formalin. Toxicology. 1996;111:135-45. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Antelman SM. Time-dependent sensitization as the cornerstone for a new approach to pharmacotherapy: drugs as foreign/stressful stimuli. Drug Develop Res. 1988;14:1-30. CrossrefGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Frank Albrecht, PhDAffiliations: Regional Clinic at Talbot; Easton, MD 21601 (Albrecht) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoFunctional Somatic Syndromes Arthur J. Barsky and Jonathan F. Borus Functional Somatic Syndromes Thomas L. English Functional Somatic Syndromes Thomas L. Kurt Functional Somatic Syndromes Arthur J. Barsky and Jonathan F. Borus Functional Somatic Syndromes Terry E. Hedrick Functional Somatic Syndromes James McSherry Functional Somatic Syndromes Kenneth Clemenger Functional Somatic Syndromes Allan Clemenger Functional Somatic Syndromes Ellen Goudsmit Functional Somatic Syndromes Melody Heard Metrics Cited byMedically unexplained physical symptoms in medical practice: a psychiatric perspective. 15 February 2000Volume 132, Issue 4Page: 328-329KeywordsEmotions ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 February 2000 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2000 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...