Article
Microbiology
Jonathan P. Jacobs, Arpana Gupta, Ravi R. Bhatt, Jacob Brawer, Kan Gao, Kirsten Tillisch, Venu Lagishetty, Rebecca Firth, Gregory D. Gudleski, Benjamin M. Ellingson, Jennifer S. Labus, Bruce D. Naliboff, Jeffrey M. Lackner, Emeran A. Mayer
Summary: This study found that pre-treatment intestinal microbiota and serotonin levels can predict the response to CBT in IBS patients. Responders to CBT showed changes in brain connectivity and microbiome post-treatment, indicating potential top-down effects of the brain on the microbiome during CBT.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sameer K. Berry, Rani Berry, David Recker, Jeffrey Botbyl, Lucy Pun, William D. Chey
Summary: Digital gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) treatment program can improve symptoms of IBS, including abdominal pain and stool problems. There was no significant difference in effectiveness between digital GDH and digital muscle relaxation (MR), but the GDH treatment group had more abdominal pain responders.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cinzia Garofalo, Costanza Maria Cristiani, Sara Ilari, Lucia Carmela Passacatini, Valentina Malafoglia, Giuseppe Viglietto, Jessica Maiuolo, Francesca Oppedisano, Ernesto Palma, Carlo Tomino, William Raffaeli, Vincenzo Mollace, Carolina Muscoli
Summary: Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome share similar symptoms and may have a common etiology related to alterations in gut microbiota. This review will discuss the similarities between FM and IBS and the potential therapeutic approaches based on microbiota manipulations.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Angela Ancona, Claudia Petito, Irene Iavarone, Valentina Petito, Linda Galasso, Alessia Leonetti, Laura Turchini, Daniela Belella, Daniele Ferrarrese, Giovanni Addolorato, Alessandro Armuzzi, Antonio Gasbarrini, Franco Scaldaferri
Summary: Research highlights the significant bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and the brain in treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders, with a focus on the impact of the first five years of life on the development of gut microbiota, immune system, and psychological alterations. The review specifically explores the link between specific microbial genera, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, anxiety, and depression, as well as the effects of various therapeutic strategies for mood disorders on gut microbiota.
DIGESTIVE AND LIVER DISEASE
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Sik Yu So, Tor C. Savidge
Summary: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is more common in females, and sex steroids play a critical role in disease onset and symptom severity by regulating visceral sensitivity, gut motility, and psychological conditions.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jade Devenney, Syed S. Hasan, Julie Morris, Peter J. Whorwell, Dipesh H. Vasant
Summary: This study conducted a secondary analysis of gut-directed hypnotherapy outcomes in patients with refractory IBS and found that patients with a higher burden of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms are most likely to benefit from this treatment. Clinical assessment of gastrointestinal, somatic, and psychological symptom profiles may play a role in selecting patients for gut-directed hypnotherapy.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Eline Margrete Randulff Hillestad, Aina van der Meeren, Bharat Halandur Nagaraja, Ben Rene Bjorsvik, Noman Haleem, Alfonso Benitez-Paez, Yolanda Sanz, Trygve Hausken, Guelen Arslan Lied, Arvid Lundervold, Birgitte Berentsen
Summary: This comprehensive review discusses the major features of irritable bowel syndrome and its interaction with gut microbiota, clinical microbiota-altering treatments such as low FODMAP diet and fecal microbiota transplantation, neuroimaging and microbiota analysis methods, and current and future challenges in big data analysis in IBS.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Simone. L. L. Peters, Peter. R. R. Gibson, Emma. P. P. Halmos
Summary: This retrospective evaluation aimed to assess the efficacy of app-delivered gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) in managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and investigating factors predicting response. Results showed that 64% of patients who completed the GDH program saw a >30% reduction in abdominal pain. The study highlights the effectiveness of app-delivered GDH for improving symptoms in IBS patients.
NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Kiangyada Yaklai, Sintip Pattanakuhar, Nipon Chattipakorn, Siriporn C. Chattipakorn
Summary: IBS is a chronic dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain and discomfort, which significantly affect patients' quality of life. Treatment mainly focuses on symptom management through standard and complementary therapies, including acupuncture. Studies have shown that acupuncture can be effective in treating IBS and research is ongoing to understand its mechanisms of action.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Minjia Chen, Guangcong Ruan, Lu Chen, Senhong Ying, Guanhu Li, Fenghua Xu, Zhifeng Xiao, Yuting Tian, Linling Lv, Yi Ping, Yi Cheng, Yanling Wei
Summary: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with unknown causes, and disruption in the gut-brain axis is believed to be the cause. Recent studies have shown that neurotransmitters play an important role in IBS, affecting blood flow regulation, intestinal motility, immune system, and gut microbiota. These studies have shed light on the mechanisms of neurotransmitters in the pathogenesis of IBS and provided new therapeutic strategies targeting the nervous system or microbiota.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emeran A. Mayer, Hyo Jin Ryu, Ravi R. Bhatt
Summary: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent disorder of brain-gut interactions, affecting 5-10% of the global population. The current diagnosis criteria focus on recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, but patients also experience non-painful abdominal discomfort, psychiatric conditions, and other pain-related symptoms. Recent research has revealed a comprehensive disease model of brain-gut-microbiome interactions, explaining the various symptoms of IBS. This model incorporates the gut connectome, enteric nervous system, brain alterations, and correlations with genetic, gastrointestinal, immune, and gut microbiome-related factors.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Peng-Ning Wu, Shuai Xiong, Peng Zhong, Wan-Qing Yang, Min Chen, Tai-Chun Tang
Summary: This study analyzes the hotspots and trends in the field of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the brain-gut axis using bibliometrics and visual analysis. The results reveal a rapid growth in the number of publications since 2012. The United States, the National University of Ireland, Cork, and J.F. Cryan are the leading contributors in terms of countries, institutions, and authors, respectively. Mechanisms and therapy associated with IBS and the brain-gut axis have been a research focus in recent years, particularly those related to intestinal flora. This is the first bibliometric and visualization analysis of IBS and brain-gut axis-related literature, providing insights into research hotspots and trends.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Syed S. Hasan, Sarah Ballou, Laurie Keefer, Dipesh H. Vasant
Summary: Gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) is a highly effective behavioral therapy recommended for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). GDH has been recognized as a valuable addition to integrated care alongside medical and dietary approaches. Recent innovations, such as smartphone app-delivered GDH, have improved access to this therapy despite low adherence rates.
NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Markos Tesfaye, Piotr Jaholkowski, Guy F. L. Hindley, Alexey A. Shadrin, Zillur Rahman, Shahram Bahrami, Aihua Lin, Borge Holen, Nadine Parker, Weiqiu Cheng, Linn Rodevand, Oleksandr Frei, Srdjan Djurovic, Anders M. Dale, Olav B. Smeland, Kevin S. O'Connell, Ole A. Andreassen
Summary: This study characterizes the genetic architecture of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and explores its genetic overlap with psychiatric and gastrointestinal phenotypes. It identifies novel genomic risk loci associated with IBS and reveals extensive polygenic overlap with psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
William D. Chey, Laurie Keefer, Kevin Whelan, Peter R. Gibson
Summary: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects quality of life and costs healthcare systems billions of dollars annually. In addition to medication, behavioral techniques and dietary modifications are effective in treating IBS.
Review
Psychiatry
Franziska Labrenz, Marcella L. Woud, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Adriane Icenhour
Summary: Avoidance behaviors are shaped by associative learning processes in response to fear, but persistent or excessive avoidance can contribute to anxiety and stress-related psychosomatic disorders. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms involved and developing targeted treatments is crucial.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Franziska Labrenz, Tamas Spisak, Thomas M. Ernst, Carlos A. Gomes, Harald H. Quick, Nikolai Axmacher, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Dagmar Timmann
Summary: The study revealed the importance of associative learning and memory mechanisms in shaping affective-emotional reactions and behavior related to visceral pain. During early acquisition, specific visual cues induced increased neural activation in the brain and cerebellum.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Sven Benson, Nina Theysohn, Julian Kleine-Borgmann, Laura Rebernik, Adriane Icenhour, Sigrid Elsenbruch
Summary: This study demonstrates how treatment expectations can influence the perceived treatment efficacy, especially in the context of gut-brain axis and visceral pain. The findings suggest that perceived symptom improvement plays a role in facilitating treatment satisfaction.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Katharina Schmidt, Julian Kleine-Borgmann, Katrin Scharmach, Diana Muessgens, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Ulrike Bingel, Katarina Forkmann
Summary: Visceral pain is more salient and emotionally intense than somatic pain, leading to higher levels of fear. This fMRI study found that visceral pain reduces neural activity in areas involved in visual processing and memory encoding, affecting cognitive functions.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Michelle Bosman, Fabienne Smeets, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Jan Tack, Magnus Simren, Nicholas Talley, Bjorn Winkens, Ad Masclee, Daniel Keszthelyi
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the placebo response in pharmacological trials for functional dyspepsia (FD). The study found that the pooled placebo response rate ranged from 35.5% to 39.6% depending on the responder definition used. Lower baseline symptom scores were significantly associated with higher placebo response rates. The study suggests considering entry criteria based on symptom severity and separate reporting of core FD symptoms in future trials.
NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2023)
Letter
Dermatology
Dorian Kern, Brjann Ljotsson, Louise Lonndahl, Erik Hedman-Lagerlof, Maria Bradley, Nils Lindefors, Martin Kraepelien
Article
Immunology
Robert J. Pawlik, Liubov Petrakova, Alexandra Cueillette, Katharina Krawczyk, Nina Theysohn, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Harald Engler
Summary: Inflammation may affect the formation and persistence of interoceptive fear and hypervigilance, which is relevant to psychiatric disorders and chronic pain. Two studies were conducted to analyze the effects of inflammation on fear learning and extinction, using endotoxemia as a model and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Despite robust inflammatory and emotional responses, no direct effects of inflammation on fear ratings or the formation/extinction of conditioned fear were observed. However, inflammation during fear acquisition enhanced neural responses to interoceptive but not exteroceptive stimuli during extinction learning, and resulted in enhanced negative valence ratings for interoceptive stimuli during unexpected re-exposure.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Maria Hedman-Lagerlof, Erik Andersson, Brjann Ljotsson, Johanna Engelbrektsson, Karolina Lundback, Daniel Bjorkander, Erik Hedman-Lagerlof, Ida Flink, Erland Axelsson
Summary: A recent study examined the potential moderating effects of various factors on the effectiveness of Internet-based exposure therapy for fibromyalgia. Results showed that higher levels of baseline pain intensity predicted a less favorable outcome. Other factors such as age, educational attainment, and duration of fibromyalgia did not significantly impact the treatment's effectiveness.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Helen Burton Murray, Imani Weeks, Kendra R. Becker, Brjann Ljotsson, Elizabeth N. Madva, Kamryn T. Eddy, Kyle Staller, Braden Kuo, Jennifer J. Thomas
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effects of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for adults with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). The treatment showed positive clinical outcomes and high satisfaction among patients, making it a promising intervention for this population. Rating: 9 out of 10
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Daniel Maroti, Mark A. Lumley, Howard Schubiner, Peter Lilliengren, Indre Bileviciute-Ljungar, Robert Johansson, Brjann Ljotsson
Summary: The study found that self-guided, internet-administered emotional awareness and expression therapy (I-EAET) can effectively reduce somatic symptoms, although the effects are smaller than in a previous uncontrolled trial. The benefits of I-EAET are partially mediated by improved emotional processing, but the effects are not long-lasting. Future research should further identify patients who respond well to I-EAET and develop personalized treatment approaches.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Robert Persson Asplund, Sofia Asplund, Helene von Buxhoeveden, Hanna Delby, Karin Eriksson, Maurits Svenning Gerhardsson, Joachim Palm, Thea Skyttberg, Julia Torstensson, Brjann Ljotsson, Per Carlbring, Gerhard Andersson
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioral intervention for stress-related disorders, including work-related aspects. The results showed that this intervention was effective in reducing chronic stress and other mental health-related symptoms, and improving work ability and short-term sickness absence.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Charlotte Gentili, Vendela Zetterqvist, Jenny Rickardsson, Linda Holmstrom, Brjann Ljotsson, Rikard Wicksell
Summary: Digitally delivered behavioral interventions for chronic pain have shown promising results, but not all patients benefit from them. By analyzing pooled data from three studies on digitally delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for chronic pain, it was found that patients with shorter pain duration and higher degree of insomnia symptoms at baseline showed greater treatment effects.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Maria Lalouni, Aleksandra Bujacz, Marianne Bonnert, Karin B. Jensen, Anna Rosengren, Erik Hedman-Lagerlof, Eva Serlachius, Ola Olen, Brjann Ljotsson
Summary: This study examined the role of parental protective behaviors, monitoring behaviors, and catastrophizing in relieving gastrointestinal symptoms in children with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs). The results suggested that parental catastrophizing may play an important role in reducing abdominal symptoms in children.
FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Dorian Kern, Brjann Ljotsson, Marianne Bonnert, Nils Lindefors, Martin Kraepelien
Summary: An online guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy intervention has the potential to improve problem areas in Type 1 diabetes, such as lifestyle habits and fear of hypoglycemia. This approach could increase access to care and enhance patient outcomes.
JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jonna Hybelius, Anton Gustavsson, Sandra af Winklerfelt Hammarberg, Eva Toth-Pal, Robert Johansson, Brjann Ljotsson, Erland Axelsson
Summary: A study on a unified Internet-delivered exposure treatment for somatic symptom disorder demonstrated high credibility, good adherence, acceptable measurement strategy, and no serious adverse events. Participants showed reductions in subjective somatic symptom burden and symptom preoccupation, indicating the feasibility of this treatment approach.
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES
(2022)
