Background/Purpose:

Fibromyalgia patients frequently have cognitive dysfunction (fibrofog). We compared cognitive ability using an interpretation of proverbs with reported poor mental clarity and other fibrofog symptoms.

Methods:

Patients meeting the 2010 ACR criteria for fibromyalgia and rheumatic disease controls were given 10 proverbs to interpret. The proverbs were listed on a form, and five potential explanations were given the patients. Patients circled the correct response.

Table: List the proverbs:

1. The pen is mightier than the sword.
2. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
3. Birds of a feather flock together.
4. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
5. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
6. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
7. Necessity is the mother of invention.
8. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
9. You can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink.
10. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Results:

109 fibromyalgia patients (mean age 50 y.o.) and 157 rheumatic disease control patients (mean age 53.5 y.o.) were given the list of the 10 proverbs. The fibromyalgia patients scored 73% of the answers correct. The rheumatic disease control patients scored 71% of the answers correct. There was no statistical difference between the two groups.

On the mental clutter scale, the mean score for Fibromyalgia patients was 3.8 ± 2.2; and the mean score for rheumatic disease patients was 2.2 ± 1.6, p<0.001. A mental clutter score of 3.8 is an abnormal score and is associated with brain fog.

Conclusion:

Proverb interpretation requires the ability to think abstractly and is often impaired in the early stages of dementia.

There was no relationship between the mental clutter scores and cognitive ability based on the interpretation of proverbs.

This suggests that while fibromyalgia patients report a lack of mental clarity and other fibrofog symptoms, their intellectual function appears to be intact, and this likely reassures them that they are not developing dementia.

Even with the difficulties they experience regarding memory, concentration, and mental fogginess, fibromyalgia patients do not appear to be developing dementia.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/interpretation-of-proverbs-compared-with-the-mental-clutter-scale-in-fibromyalgia-patients-demonstrates-intact-intellectual-ability-despite-the-symptoms-of-fibrofog/