Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function

Growing evidence suggests that symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be due to a visceral sensory dysfunction. Specifically, it has been shown that patients with IBS have hypersensitive responses to distension of the rectum, whereas their tolerance to somatic stimuli is normal...

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Main Author: Fernando Azpiroz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1999-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/963469
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author Fernando Azpiroz
author_facet Fernando Azpiroz
author_sort Fernando Azpiroz
collection DOAJ
description Growing evidence suggests that symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be due to a visceral sensory dysfunction. Specifically, it has been shown that patients with IBS have hypersensitive responses to distension of the rectum, whereas their tolerance to somatic stimuli is normal or even increased. Furthermore, patients with IBS have hypersensitivity of the small bowel, which selectively affects mechanosensitive afferents, with normal perception of electrical stimulation of the gut. Sensory dysfunctions may also be associated with altered reflex activity, which may contribute to the clinical symptoms. Normally, a series of mechanisms at different strata of the nervous system modulate visceral afferent input and determine conscious perception. Conceivably, a dysfunction of these regulatory mechanisms may alter sensitivity in clinical conditions. To date, neither the origin nor the clinical significance of visceral hyperalgesia has been elucidated. However, it seems likely that the sensory and reflex dysfunctions of the gut in IBS may combine to different degrees, and their interaction may explain the clinical pleomorphism of the syndrome.
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spelling doaj-art-ddb4ae3516734388bd42b8ecd3febbde2025-08-20T03:26:21ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology0835-79001999-01-0113Suppl A12A14A10.1155/1999/963469Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory FunctionFernando Azpiroz0Digestive System Research Unit, Hospital General Vall d’Hebron, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainGrowing evidence suggests that symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be due to a visceral sensory dysfunction. Specifically, it has been shown that patients with IBS have hypersensitive responses to distension of the rectum, whereas their tolerance to somatic stimuli is normal or even increased. Furthermore, patients with IBS have hypersensitivity of the small bowel, which selectively affects mechanosensitive afferents, with normal perception of electrical stimulation of the gut. Sensory dysfunctions may also be associated with altered reflex activity, which may contribute to the clinical symptoms. Normally, a series of mechanisms at different strata of the nervous system modulate visceral afferent input and determine conscious perception. Conceivably, a dysfunction of these regulatory mechanisms may alter sensitivity in clinical conditions. To date, neither the origin nor the clinical significance of visceral hyperalgesia has been elucidated. However, it seems likely that the sensory and reflex dysfunctions of the gut in IBS may combine to different degrees, and their interaction may explain the clinical pleomorphism of the syndrome.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/963469
spellingShingle Fernando Azpiroz
Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
title Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
title_full Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
title_fullStr Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
title_full_unstemmed Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
title_short Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function
title_sort dimensions of gut dysfunction in irritable bowel syndrome altered sensory function
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/963469
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