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Biomedical subjects

B Naliboff

Publications and source records attributed to B Naliboff.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Subtypes of constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome based on rectal perception.

BACKGROUND: Patients who complain of constipation can be divided into those who have lost the natural call to stool, but develop abdominal discomfort after several days without a bowel movement (no urge); and those who experience a constant sensation of incomplete evacuation (urge). AIMS: To determine whether the two groups differ in symptoms, colonic transit, and perceptual responses to controlled rectal distension. METHODS: Forty four patients with constipation were evaluated with a bowel symptom questionnaire, colonic transit (radiopaque markers), and rectal balloon distension. Stool (S) and discomfort (D) thresholds to slow ramp (40 ml/min) and rapid phasic distension (870 ml/min) were determined with an electronic distension device. Fifteen healthy controls were also studied. RESULTS: All patients had Rome positive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); 17 were no urge and 27 urge. Mean D threshold to phasic rectal distensions was 28 (3) mm Hg in no urge, 27 (3) mm Hg in urge (NS), but higher in the control group (46 (2) mm Hg; p < 0.01). Sixty seven per cent of no urge and 69% of urge were hypersensitive for D. Slow ramp distension thresholds were higher in no urge (S: 26 (3); D: 45 (4) mm Hg) compared with urge (S: 16 (2); D: 31 (3) mm Hg; p < 0.01), or with controls (S: 15 (1); D: 30 (3); p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hyposensitivity to slow rectal distension is found in patients with IBS who complain of constipation and have lost the call to stool even though their sensitivity to phasic distension is increased.

Adult↗

Sexual dysfunction in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and non-ulcer dyspepsia.

The prevalence and type of sexual dysfunction in patients with functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders involving the upper (functional dyspepsia) or lower GI tract (irritable bowel syndrome) were studied in 683 patients seen at a tertiary referral center and a comparison group of 247 community volunteers. Associations between sexual dysfunction and type and severity of GI symptoms, and psychological symptoms were examined. All subjects were evaluated with a validated bowel syndrome questionnaire, which included questions about sexual function. Psychological symptom severity was assessed by SCL-90R. The prevalence of self-reported sexual dysfunction in patients with functional GI disorders was 43.3% and did not differ by gender, age stratification or disease subtype: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD), and IBS + NUD. In the comparison subjects without IBS symptoms and those with IBS symptoms but not seeking health care (IBS non-patients), the reported sexual dysfunction prevalence was significantly lower (16.1 and 24.4%, respectively, p < 0.005). Decreased sexual drive was the symptom most commonly reported by both male (36.2%) and female (28.4%) patients. Dyspareunia was reported by 16.4% of females and 4% of males with IBS, but was rarely observed in patients with NUD. Report of sexual dysfunction was positively associated with perceived GI symptom severity, but not with psychological symptom severity. Sexual dysfunction should be incorporated into the quality-of-life assessment of patients with functional GI disorders and addressed in future outcome studies.

Adult↗

Repetitive sigmoid stimulation induces rectal hyperalgesia in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Only a fraction of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show hypersensitivity to rectal distention. The current study sought to determine if repetitive high-pressure stimulation of sigmoid mechanoreceptors modulates perception of rectal pain and discomfort. METHODS: In 14 patients with IBS and 11 healthy controls, perception thresholds for discomfort and pain during rectal sensory tracking and verbal descriptor ratings of the perceived intensity of a rectal tonic stimulus were obtained before and after repetitive high-pressure mechanical sigmoid stimulation. Gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms were assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS: Despite heterogeneity in baseline rectal sensitivity in patients with IBS, after sigmoid stimulation, 100% of patients, regardless of baseline sensitivity, developed rectal hyperalgesia manifested by at least two of the following three criteria: lowered thresholds for pain and discomfort and increased viscerosomatic referral and lower abdominal discomfort outlasting the experimental stimulation. This pattern of responses was not observed in any of the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IBS, repetitive stimulation of sigmoid splanchnic afferents results in the development of central sensitization manifested as hyperalgesia and increased viscerosomatic referral during rectal distention and as spontaneous rectosigmoid hyperalgesia in the absence of applied stimuli. Repetitive sigmoid contractions may induce rectosigmoid hyperalgesia in patients with IBS.

Adult↗

Sigmoid afferent mechanisms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Up to 60% of patients with IBS have lowered perception thresholds in the rectum to balloon distension. The current study sought to test the hypothesis that IBS patients with normal perception thresholds in the rectum show hypersensitivity of afferent pathways in the sigmoid colon. Eleven healthy normal subjects and eight IBS patients with normal rectal perception thresholds underwent a balloon distension protocol in the sigmoid and rectum. Discomfort thresholds, receptive relaxation, compliance, and referral patterns were measured. Although IBS patients had significantly lower discomfort thresholds in the sigmoid when measured as volume, pressure, and wall tension, thresholds were similar to normals. Receptive relaxation and dynamic compliance were significantly decreased in IBS patients in the sigmoid. Referral patterns were similar during sigmoid distention in IBS patients in comparison to normals. Despite normal perception thresholds in rectum and sigmoid, IBS patients show evidence for alterations in rectosigmoid afferent mechanisms. In the sigmoid, this is seen in the form of reduced reflex relaxation and compliance and in the rectum in the form of altered viscerosomatic referral.

Adult↗

Rectal afferent function in patients with inflammatory and functional intestinal disorders.

Chronic symptoms of abdominal pain and discomfort are reported by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and functional disorders of the gut, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It has recently been suggested that transient inflammatory mucosal events may result in long-lasting sensitization of visceral afferent pathways. To determine the effect of recurring intestinal tissue irritation on lumbosacral afferent pathways, and to identify a plausible mechanism that could account for the overlap in symptomatology between IBD and IBS, we compared rectal afferent mechanisms in patients with Crohn's disease (inflammation limited to the ileum) with those observed in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS. Continuous volume ramp and phasic pressure step distension of a rectal balloon were performed in 9 healthy male control subjects, 12 male patients with isolated ileal Crohn's disease and 9 male patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS using an electronic visceral stimulation device. The response of rectal afferents to distension was evaluated by measuring thresholds for the perception of physiological (stool) and aversive (discomfort) sensations, viscerosomatic referral patterns, skin conductance responses, receptive relaxation, and rectoanal reflex responses. In response to slow ramp distension, thresholds for aversive sensations were significantly higher in Crohn's disease patients, but similar between the two other groups. In response to rapid phasic distension, IBS patients reported discomfort at lower distension pressures, while all other thresholds were similar between groups. Skin conductance responses to aversive distension were greatly reduced in Crohn's disease patients while IBS patients had greater responses when compared to normals. Changes in viscerosomatic referral patterns and receptive relaxation rate were similar in Crohn's disease and IBS patients. These findings demonstrate that chronic ileal inflammation is associated with increased thresholds for discomfort and greatly diminished systemic autonomic reflex responses. In contrast, IBS patients show lowered thresholds for discomfort associated with increased autonomic responses. The findings in Crohn's patients may result from descending bulbospinal inhibition of sacral dorsal horn neurons in response to chronic intestinal tissue irritation.

Adult↗

Symptom duration in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The etiology and natural history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is poorly understood. We compared rectal sensory thresholds and compliance, SCL-90 scores, and follow-up questionnaires among normal controls, patients with longstanding ( > 5 y) disease (L-IBS), and patients with recent onset ( > 2 y) disease (R-IBS). The onset of symptoms in R-IBS was related to specific events such as infection (n = 10), surgery (n = 5), and stress (n = 4), but no specific event could be identified in six patients. METHODS: A diagnosis of IBS was made using Manning criteria ( > or = 3) and clinical grounds. Psychological data were obtained by psychometrics (SCL-90) scores. Rectal wall compliance and thresholds for the sensation of stool and discomfort were evaluated using the electronic barostat. RESULTS: The mean thresholds for phasic and ramp distention were similar for R-IBS and L-IBS groups for the perception of stool and discomfort. When compared with normals, the mean stool thresholds for phasic distention were significantly lower for L-IBS and R-IBS groups. SCL-90 scores were significantly increased in L-IBS in the mean phobia score (45 R-IBS vs 61 L-IBS), anxiety score (49 R-IBS vs 63 L-IBS), paranoia score (44 R-IBS vs 60 L-IBS), and hostility score (47 R-IBS vs 61 L-IBS) (all p < 0.05). On follow-up questionnaire, 60% of R-IBS versus 46% of L-IBS patients indicated that their symptoms had improved (p < 0.05). R-IBS patients also experienced fewer episodes of abdominal pain per week at follow-up than L-IBS patients (3.9 +/- 1.0 vs 8.5 +/- 1.7, respectively) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that IBS patients with short symptom duration and fewer psychological symptoms have a better prognosis than patients with a long history of IBS and associated psychological distress, although long term prospective studies are needed.

Adolescent↗

Altered rectal perception is a biological marker of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Lowered visceral perception thresholds have been suggested as a biological marker of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The current study sought to determine the prevalence of altered rectal visceral perception in patients with IBS and the correlation of altered perception thresholds with subjective symptoms. METHODS: Anorectal manometry and rectal perception thresholds to balloon distention were determined in 100 patients with IBS and 15 control subjects. Gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms were assessed by questionnaire. Perception thresholds and symptoms were reassessed after 3 months in 15 patients with IBS. RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of patients showed altered rectal perception in the form of lowered thresholds for aversive sensations (discomfort), increased intensity of sensations, or altered viscerosomatic referral. Hypersensitivity was found only for aversive sensations in response to rapid phasic distention; stool thresholds and thresholds in response to slow ramp distention were normal. Cluster analysis by physiological parameters identified three IBS subgroups with predominant patterns of symptoms. Longitudinal evaluation indicated a correlation between changes in perception thresholds and symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Because altered rectal perception is present in almost all patients with IBS and perception thresholds correlate with temporal changes in retrospective symptom severity, altered rectal perception represents a reliable biological marker of IBS.

Adult↗

Perceptual dysfunction in hemiplegia and automobile driving.

Sixteen post-stroke, hemiplegic patients, who requested that they be allowed to return to driving, were extensively evaluated by a physiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, and driver training specialist. After they completed a driver training program, the patients were divided into three groups based on their driving program success and follow-ups. Significant differences in the psychological test results were found between Group I (those who drove without any difficulty) and Groups II and III (those who drove limited distance or who failed driver training). Results suggest that patients with significant cognitive and perceptual problems who take training and limit their driving can be safe drivers when they return to driving.

Accidents, Traffic↗

A comparison of clinically and empirically derived MMPI groupings in low back pain patients.

Two methods of grouping MMPI scales were employed with 271 patients who were attending a Back Clinic at a university hospital. One method involved clinically derived decision rules, while the other utilized a multivariate clustering procedure. Five subgroups of patients were identified with each method. Both procedures showed subgroup differences in terms of pretreatment pain intensity, activity limitations, McGill affective scores, and physician ratings of degree of functional impairment; the elevated subgroups showed more dysfunction. Follow-up comparisons revealed that, regardless of the classification procedure used, the elevated subgroups showed poorer response to treatment. Only the clinically derived groupings had significant differences in chronicity of pain and total scores on the McGill Pain Questionnaire. On the other hand, only the statistically based system showed significant differences on age and marital status. Furthermore, only the statistical system identified subgroups of male patients that predicted followup pain intensity decreases in a manner that indicated clinical usefulness.

Adult↗

Postural hypotension: its meaning and management in the elderly.

Aging is associated with a considerable number of alterations in function of the autonomic nervous system and with systems involved in the control of cardiovascular response to postural changes. However, these alterations themselves do not generally lead to symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. In combination with other factors, older patients can develop marked problems with orthostatic hypotension--notably, certain drug regimens, some degree of underlying heart failure, or such common geriatric illnesses as parkinsonism and diabetes. Treatment regimens must be designed to minimize side effects. While aggressive pharmacologic treatment may be helpful for young patients, among the elderly physical therapy or behavioral maneuvers may promote the most benefit with least risk. The simplest first step, however, is to focus on possible iatrogenic causes and eliminate them.

Aged↗