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Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut
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Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2020) | Viewed by 19849

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Miranda Van Tilburg

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA
2. Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
3. School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
Interests: pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders; functional abdominal pain; irritable bowel syndrome; constipation and fecal incontinence; healthcare transition readiness in children with chronic diseases; psychosocial aspects of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The connection between the gut and the brain has long been realized. A typical example is feeling stomach butterflies before an important test. Chronic digestive symptoms are often affected by a sensitization of primary nerves in the gut and an amplification of these messages in the brain. Bidirectional pathways between the brain and the gut are a subject of keen scientific interest, and many new discoveries have been made in recent years.

In children who suffer from pediatric chronic digestive disorders, the disease burden  is driven by both the disease severity and psychological aspects, such as how well a child can cope and function despite the symptoms. Past pain experiences, and cognitive and emotional stressors can hinder treatment. Psychosocial factors are known to be related to the etiology, maintenance, and exacerbation of pediatric digestive diseases.

 Psychogastroenterology is the burgeoning field focused on studying the gut–brain interactions in digestive diseases. It aims to understand how the brain and the gut interact and how psychosocial factors influence outcomes, as well as to develop and test behavioral treatments to alleviate digestive symptoms. Many new discoveries have been made in recent years, including the efficacy of hypnosis to treat abdominal pain; remotely derived therapies through the internet; neuromodulation of the gastrointestinal tract; and the role of diet, inflammation, intestinal permeability, and gut microbiota in driving psychological distress associated with chronic disease; etc.

The goal of this Special Issue is to discuss recent advances in the understanding and treatment of brain–gut connections in pediatric digestive diseases, such as reflux, constipation, functional abdominal pain, eosinophilic esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and many others.

Dr. Miranda van Tilburg
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Reflux
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Functional abdominal pain
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Functional dyspepsia
  • Abdominal migraine
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder
  • Rumination
  • Gastroparesis
  • Cyclic vomiting
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Hirschsprung’s disease
  • Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
  • Motility disorders
  • Pancreatitis
  • Food intolerances and allergies
  • Short bowel syndrome
  • Achalasia
  • Feeding disorders
  • Hypermobility syndrome
  • Psychological factors
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Coping
  • Catastrophizing
  • Somatization
  • Stress
  • Personality
  • Social learning
  • Attachment
  • Parent factors

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 210 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Psychosocial and Parenting Needs of Mothers with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Young Children
by Lexa K. Murphy, Tanera R. van Diggelen, Rona L. Levy and Tonya M. Palermo
Children 2020, 7(8), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/children7080093 - 7 Aug 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2980
Abstract
Women of childbearing age experience the highest prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), yet little is known about their psychosocial and parenting needs, which may influence their children’s experience of future gastrointestinal or pain-related conditions. The aims of this study were to conduct [...] Read more.
Women of childbearing age experience the highest prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), yet little is known about their psychosocial and parenting needs, which may influence their children’s experience of future gastrointestinal or pain-related conditions. The aims of this study were to conduct qualitative interviews to understand the psychosocial and parenting needs of mothers with IBS who have young school-age children, and to assess mothers’ potential interest in and acceptability of a preventive parenting intervention program. Ten mothers with IBS who have young (age 5–10), healthy children were interviewed. Interviews were coded with thematic analysis and three themes were identified: (1) Guilt about how IBS impacts children, (2) Worry that children will develop IBS, and (3) Already on high alert for children’s health. All mothers expressed interest in an Internet-based preventive intervention and identified tools and strategies they would want included. Results demonstrate that mothers experience guilt about how IBS has impacted their children in their daily lives, concern that they need to pay attention to children’s early signs and symptoms that could indicate gastrointestinal problems, and worry about children developing IBS in the future—suggesting that a preventive intervention may address important concerns for this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 267 KiB  
Review
Parent and Family Functioning in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
by Grace Cushman, Sharon Shih and Bonney Reed
Children 2020, 7(10), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/children7100188 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3256
Abstract
Although the impact of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) extends beyond the patient to their parents and families, the focus of previous literature has largely been on investigating the patient’s medical and psychosocial functioning, with less consideration of the family system. Having a [...] Read more.
Although the impact of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) extends beyond the patient to their parents and families, the focus of previous literature has largely been on investigating the patient’s medical and psychosocial functioning, with less consideration of the family system. Having a comprehensive understanding of parent and family functioning within the context of pediatric IBD is important given the role parents and family members have in the successful management of the disease and caring of the child. The current review paper aggregates the empirical research regarding parent and family functioning, including comparisons to normative samples, other illness groups, and how functioning relates to child psychosocial and health outcomes. Extant literature on parents and families in pediatric IBD has largely focused on the variables of parenting stress, parent psychosocial functioning, parent quality of life, and family functioning. Summary findings elucidate the complex relationships between parents, families, and children affected by IBD and highlight the importance of assessing parent and family functioning within pediatric IBD. The current review also offers implications for clinical practice, notes the limitations of the present literature, and provides recommendations for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut)
14 pages, 226 KiB  
Review
Global Dietary Patterns and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
by Cara Hannah Axelrod and Miguel Saps
Children 2020, 7(10), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/children7100152 - 27 Sep 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3238
Abstract
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) are common. In the United States alone, approximately 25 million Americans are estimated to have at least one FGID. Nonpharmacological treatment options include psychological/behavioral approaches, and dietary interventions that can vary across countries. The aim of this review is [...] Read more.
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) are common. In the United States alone, approximately 25 million Americans are estimated to have at least one FGID. Nonpharmacological treatment options include psychological/behavioral approaches, and dietary interventions that can vary across countries. The aim of this review is to evaluate the available evidence for dietary interventions for the treatment of childhood FGIDs amongst various cultures and regions of the world. This review includes clinical trials of dietary therapies for the treatment of FGIDs in children posted on or before 13 July 2020 in PubMed. Overall, the consensus view suggests that the westernization of diets is linked to the development of FGIDs, and diets low in Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAPs) may reduce abdominal symptoms. However, more work is needed to confirm these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut)
8 pages, 199 KiB  
Review
Psychogastroenterology: A Cure, Band-Aid, or Prevention?
by Miranda A. L. van Tilburg
Children 2020, 7(9), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/children7090121 - 3 Sep 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5336
Abstract
Psychogastroenterology is a field that focuses on the brain–gut connection. Many children with gut disorders also struggle with psychological and social factors that affect their disease outcomes. Psychological factors have been suggested to be a cure, a band-aid, or a prevention. This article [...] Read more.
Psychogastroenterology is a field that focuses on the brain–gut connection. Many children with gut disorders also struggle with psychological and social factors that affect their disease outcomes. Psychological factors have been suggested to be a cure, a band-aid, or a prevention. This article examines the underlying models of disease and health that determine how we understand and treat psychosocial factors in gut diseases. The biomedical and biopsychosocial models are presented and applied to pediatric gut disorders. This article should familiarize clinicians as well as children and their families to the challenges and opportunities for addressing psychosocial factors in gut disease. Psychogastroenterology is best thought of as a cog in a complex treatment machine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut)
10 pages, 410 KiB  
Review
The Scarcity of Literature on the Psychological, Social, and Emotional Effects of Gastroparesis in Children
by Tiffany H. Taft, Bethany Doerfler, Emily Edlynn and Linda Nguyen
Children 2020, 7(9), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/children7090115 - 31 Aug 2020
Viewed by 3775
Abstract
Gastroparesis (GP) is a chronic, gastric dysmotility disorder with significant morbidity and mortality. The hallmark of GP is the delayed emptying of the contents of the stomach in the absence of any mechanical obstruction. Patients most commonly report chronic symptoms of nausea, vomiting, [...] Read more.
Gastroparesis (GP) is a chronic, gastric dysmotility disorder with significant morbidity and mortality. The hallmark of GP is the delayed emptying of the contents of the stomach in the absence of any mechanical obstruction. Patients most commonly report chronic symptoms of nausea, vomiting, feeling full quickly when eating, bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatments are limited with relatively poor efficacy. As such, children with GP are at significant risk for the development of psychological co-morbidities. In this paper, we provide a topical review of the scientific literature on the psychological, social, and emotional impacts of gastroparesis in pediatric patients. We aim to document the current state of research, identify gaps in our knowledge with appropriate recommendations for future research directions, and highlight the unique challenges pediatric patients with GP and their families may face as they manage this disease. Based on the current review, research into the psychosocial impacts in children with GP is essentially non-existent. However, when considering research in children with other chronic digestive diseases, children with GP are likely to face multiple psychosocial challenges, including increased risk for anxiety and depression, stigma, and reduced quality of life. These significant gaps in the current understanding of effects of GP across domains of childhood functioning allow for ample opportunities for future studies to address psychosocial outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychogastroenterology: The Connection between the Brain and the Gut)
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