Journal of neuroendocrinology
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J. Neuroendocrinol. · Aug 2016
Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Visceral Pain: Implications in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Visceral pain is a term describing pain originating from the internal organs of the body and is a common feature of many disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Stress is implicated in the development and exacerbation of many visceral pain disorders. ⋯ Building upon human imaging data showing abnormalities in the central processing of visceral stimuli in patients with IBS and knowledge that the amygdala plays a pivotal role in facilitating the stress axis, the latest experimental evidence supporting amygdala-mediated mechanisms in stress-induced visceral pain was reviewed. The final part of the session at ISPNE reviewed experimental evidence suggesting that visceral pain in IBS may be a result, at least in part, of afferent nerve sensitisation following increases in epithelial permeability and mucosal immune activation.