Psychosomatic medicine
-
Psychosomatic medicine · Nov 2017
Influence of Uncertain Anticipation on Brain Responses to Aversive Rectal Distension in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
We investigated whether certainty and uncertainty of impending aversive visceral sensation differently modulate regional brain activity, both during anticipation and visceral sensation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients compared with healthy controls. ⋯ Preceding uncertainty differentially modulates the brain processing of physiologically identical rectal stimulation in IBS patients. Cue-dependent alterations in brain responses may underlie hypervigilance to visceral sensations in IBS patients.