Descending inhibition uses three brain chemicals—dopamine,
serotonin, and norepinephrine. Interestingly, Dr. Jon Russell
noted the metabolites of these chemicals (meaning the chemicals
themselves) appeared to be present in lower concentrations in
FMS patients way back in 1992. A group of Japanese researchers
have found that if they gave laboratory rats a chemical called
reserpine they could create an animal model of FMS. The animals
displayed signs of depression, pain out of proportion to normal,
increases in levels of muscle pain, and they responded to two
medications used in FMS syndrome - pregabalin (Lyrica®) and
duloxetine (Cymbalta®). Reserpine causes a reduction in
dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine and simulates the
reduction seen in humans with FMS. We’ll talk more about these
medications in later short reports. Descending pathways that
will ultimately modify spinal pain signals originate in several
different parts of the brain; especially notable areas are the
frontal lobe (where you do your con