Measures of Juvenile Fibromyalgia.

Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM) is a chronic and debilitating noninflammatory musculoskeletal pain syndrome that is typically diagnosed in adolescence. There are no specific medical tests or disease markers to diagnose the condition, and classification is based on patient report of pain and other associated symptoms after ruling out other underlying medical causes. JFM can be disabling in multiple life domains and therefore, a multidimensional assessment of JFM is recommended to gain a full picture of the extent of JFM symptoms along with their impact on physical and emotional functioning and quality of life. The following updated review outlines evidence-based measures useful in the assessment of school-age children and adolescents with JFM. New measures include 1) the Pain and Symptom Assessment Tool (PSAT) that offers a standardized tool for the classification of fibromyalgia in pediatric patients and 2) the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Pediatric Pain Interference, Anxiety, and Depression Scales. Updated information is presented on previously established measures that assess the impact of JFM on functioning and quality of life - the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 3.0 Rheumatology Module Pain and Hurt Scale, are also discussed. In general, there are increasing options for validated patient-reported outcome measures available to measure the spectrum of symptoms in JFM and assess impact on daily life. Greater consistency in identification of JFM and use of standardized assessment tools will undoubtedly lead to higher quality research much needed in this relatively understudied musculoskeletal pain condition.