JPK,
I haven't heard about a definitive test for fibro w/MRI or CAT brain scan. However, tests like that are sometimes done to rule out other diseases, like MS & who knows what else, prior to giving a fibro dx.
The diagnosis of fibro is made largely on the basis of excluding other diseases, plus consideration of symptoms of fatigue, pain, & tender points, typically in all 4 body quadrants.
I have heard that there's a common brainwave (EEG signature) pattern in fibromyalgia, esp. during sleep. But whether the brainwave pattern is a "cause," or whether is it an adaptive pattern as a result of living w/chronic pain, is not really understood.
If you have run across research or other info that suggests specific abnormalities in a certain part of the brain, could you describe that for us? Posting websites is tricky (read the rules) ... and the mods are strict, so it's usually better to summarize info.
Sorry you're having trouble getting taken seriously. Here in the USA, fibro is a recognized rheumatological disease, but people still have to perservere to get adequate treatment (and testing for contributing causes, like hormonal). There are many of us who just don't get adequate treatment & lead lives that entail a lot of suffering & reduced functioning.
IMO, the efforts of Big Pharma to "psychologize" fibro do a disservice to us all. Yes, there are psych aspects, but those occur in most every disease. Treatment with psych meds alone is "the cure" for only about 1/4 of fibro sufferers.
AS you say, if we could get researchers to find a physical cause, even a definitive test for fibro, we would ALL get more respect.
Are you in NZ then? Or Canada or the UK?
Best wishes.
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