Der Schmerz
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The psychophysiology of visceral pain is--different from cardiac psychophysiology--much less well investigated due to the invasiveness of its methods and problems associated with reliably and reproducibly stimulating as well as recording of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite these problems, the last 30 years have documented a number of psychophysiological phenomena such as the perception (interoception) of visceral stimuli, the effect of emotions and stress on visceral sensations, and the effect of visceral processes on cortical processing. This was mainly due to the application of neurophysiological techniques (cortical imaging and stimulation) in these investigations.
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Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) presents as a multicausal disorder. Complex interactions of psychological factors with somatic dysfunctions are crucial to the development and maintenance of CPPS. ⋯ The psychopathological comorbidities in subjects with CPPS require specific evidence-based diagnostic and treatment methods to reduce psychopathology and improve quality of life.
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There are no data available on the prevalence of disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp in adults in Germany. ⋯ Persons in the general German population frequently reported slightly disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp; however, severely disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp were rarely reported. Abdominal pain and menstrual cramps were associated with additional somatic complaints and depression.