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Previous studies have identified stress system dysregulation in fibromyalgia (FM) patients; such dysregulation may be involved in the generation and/or maintenance of pain and other symptoms. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the principal known central nervous system mediator of the stress response; however, to date no studies have examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CRF levels in patients with FM. The relationship between CSF CRF level, heart rate variability (HRV), and pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms was examined in patients with FM. Among participants (n= 26), CSF CRF levels were associated with sensory pain symptoms (r= 0.574, p= 0.003) and affective pain symptoms (r= 0.497, p= 0.011), but not fatigue symptoms. Increased HRV was also strongly associated with increased CSF CRF and FM pain. In multivariate analyses adjusting for age, sex, and depressive symptoms, the association …