VISCERAL PERCEPTION

Hypersensitivity in functional gastrointestinal disorders

F Azpiroz

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
F Azpiroz, Digestive System Research Unit, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08035-Barcelona, Spain;
fernando.azpiroz{at}wol.es

Patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders may have visceral sensory dysfunction so that physiological stimuli induce their symptoms. The clinical significance of altered perception—that is, its relation to clinical symptoms—remains unclear. Data indicate that sensory dysfunction is associated with altered reflex activity. Hence evidence of combined sensory-reflex dysfunction as a common pathophysiological mechanism in various functional gastrointestinal disorders would suggest that they are different forms of the same process. Altered reflex activity and altered conscious perception of gastrointestinal stimuli may combine to differing degrees, and their interaction may produce clinical symptoms.

Keywords: visceral hypersensitivity; visceral reflexes; functional dyspepsia; irritable bowel syndrome; functional gastrointestinal disorders

Abbreviations: IBS, irritable bowel syndrome

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Dorn, S. D, Palsson, O. S, Thiwan, S. I M, Kanazawa, M., Clark, W C., van Tilburg, M. A L, Drossman, D. A, Scarlett, Y., Levy, R. L, Ringel, Y., Crowell, M. D, Olden, K. W, Whitehead, W. E (2007). Increased colonic pain sensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome is the result of an increased tendency to report pain rather than increased neurosensory sensitivity. Gut 56: 1202-1209 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lennerz, J. K. M., Dentsch, C., Bernardini, N., Hummel, T., Neuhuber, W. L., Reeh, P. W. (2007). Electrophysiological characterization of vagal afferents relevant to mucosal nociception in the rat upper oesophagus. J. Physiol. 582: 229-242 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schmidt, B, Hammer, J, Holzer, P, Hammer, H F (2004). Chemical nociception in the jejunum induced by capsaicin. Gut 53: 1109-1116 [Abstract] [Full Text]