BARCELONA — A systematic review published online on June 22, 2026, in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity identified a pattern of neuroimmune alterations in fibromyalgia. The article was authored by Marçal Castán and Adela Fusté from the University of Barcelona. The study is a systematic review of case-control studies, combining neuroimaging and gene expression studies, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and cellular studies.

The study identified a consistent pattern of neuroimmune alterations, defined as changes in the way the nervous system and the immune system communicate and regulate each other. The reviewed studies reported possible activation of the brain's immune cells, particularly microglia. Changes in the levels of cytokines and other immune molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with fibromyalgia were reported in the reviewed studies. Alterations in the expression of genes related to inflammatory processes were also reported.

"Taken together, these findings suggest a pattern of neuroimmune dysregulation that goes beyond classic inflammation and involves both mechanisms that promote inflammation and alterations in the mechanisms that regulate it," Castán said. He stated that these findings converge on brain networks involved in pain processing, emotional regulation, cognition and behavior. "Together, they contribute to advancing a more integrated and accurate understanding of the disorder, consistent with a biopsychosocial perspective on health, which views the condition as the result of the interaction between biological, psychological and social factors," he added. Adela Fusté is from the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Barcelona and is a member of the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona. The digital object identifier for the article is 10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106773.