"Don't give up, advocate for yourself": A pilot study examining healthcare experiences of people with Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser syndrome (MRKH).

Study Objective: Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is characterized by the underdevelopment or absence of the uterus and upper vagina. Navigating healthcare interactions may present unique challenges for those with MRKH as there appears to be sparse clinical education and research available to healthcare providers. Additionally, limited research exists on the healthcare experiences of people with MRKH.

Investigating Descending Pain Regulation in Fibromyalgia and the Link to Altered Autonomic Regulation by Means of Functional MRI Data.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pain condition that affects a significant portion of the population; yet, this condition is still poorly understood. Prior research has suggested that individuals with FM display a heightened sensitivity to pain and signs of autonomic dysfunction. Recent advances in functional MRI analysis methods to model blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) responses across networks of regions, and structural and physiological modeling (SAPM) have shown the potential to provide more detailed information about altered neural activity than was previously possible.

Structural and Physiological Modeling (SAPM) for the Analysis of Functional MRI Data Applied to a Study of Human Nociceptive Processing.

A novel method has been developed for analyzing connectivity between regions based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. This method, termed structural and physiological modeling (SAPM), combines information about blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) responses, anatomy, and physiology to model coordinated signaling across networks of regions, including input and output signaling from each region and whether signaling is predominantly inhibitory or excitatory. The present study builds on a prior proof-of-concept demonstration of the SAPM method by providing evidence for the choice of network model and anatomical sub-regions, demonstrating the reproducibility of the results and identifying statistical thresholds needed to infer significance.