Neuropeptide Substance P is Released in the Spinal Cord in Response to Pain

Question: Neuropeptide substance P is released in the spinal cord in response to pain and causes nerve endings around the initiating nerves to also become more sensitive to pain. Normally, this mechanism is "reset" during stages of deep sleep. If, however, the mechanism cannot be reset, this process may run out of control and cause fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by body-wide chronic pain and fatigue. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, drug use, and serotonin deficiency can interfere with stages of "deep" sleep.

The statements above, if true, best support which of the following conclusions?

(A) The simplest way to treat fibromyalgia is to control the release of neuropeptide substance P.
(B) The release of neuropeptide substance P cannot be reset if a patient suffers from a condition that interferes with stages of "deep" sleep.
(C) Patients who do not suffer from conditions that can interfere with stages of "deep" sleep will not develop fibromyalgia.
(D) Conditions such as depression, anxiety, drug use and serotonin deficiency can aggravate or even cause fibromyalgia.
(E) Drug users who experience body-wide chronic pain and fatigue most likely suffer from fibromyalgia.

Answer: D

Explanation: This is a GMAT critical reasoning question. We have to select the option that does the least to undermine what the author has said for the similarities given in the passage.

Let’s go through each option individually and find the one that fits the best.

Hypothesis:

i) Neuropeptide substance P is released in response to pain
ii) this mechanism is "reset" during stages of deep sleep
iii) the mechanism cannot be reset, this process may run out of control and cause fibromyalgia
iv) Conditions such as depression, anxiety, drug use, and serotonin deficiency can interfere with stages of "deep" sleep

(A) The simplest way to treat fibromyalgia is to control the release of neuropeptide substance P.
-Option A implies that there can be no comparison between some ways to treat fibromyalgia. So, the simplest way to treat fibromyalgia is incorrect. This statement provides no details about controlling the release of P as a way to treat fibromyalgia. Hence option A is incorrect.

(B) The release of neuropeptide substance P cannot be reset if a patient suffers from a condition that interferes with stages of "deep" sleep.
-Option B states that there are more reasons that cause sleeping disorders and cannot be reset.
Option B is incorrect because of conditions that interfere with the stage of deep sleep.

(C) Patients who do not suffer from conditions that can interfere with stages of "deep" sleep will not develop fibromyalgia.
-Option C provides no data that indicates patients who do not suffer from conditions that interfere with deep sleep. This problem further causes fibromyalgia. Option C is incorrect also because it only states that patients who have trouble with deep sleep could cause fibromyalgia.

(D) Conditions such as depression, anxiety, drug use and serotonin deficiency can aggravate or even cause fibromyalgia.
-Optio D is correct. This statement implies conditions that can interfere with deep sleep. Hence, the release of P cannot be reset and cause fibromyalgia.

(E) Drug users who experience body-wide chronic pain and fatigue most likely suffer from fibromyalgia.
-Option E provides no details that link "fibromyalgia" to "Drug users who experience body-wide chronic pain and fatigue". Hence option E is irrelevant.

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