American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · May 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialTherapeutic value of spinal cord stimulation in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized crossover pilot study.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by abdominal pain and changed bowel habits. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used for treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Animal studies have shown SCS to reduce the reaction to colonic balloon distension, known to be increased in IBS patients. ⋯ To conclude, SCS is a minimally invasive treatment option for pain in IBS. With SCS the pain level was reduced though with merely a trend for number of attacks and diarrheas. The efficacy of SCS in IBS pain indicates a possible usefulness in other painful bowel disorders.
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · May 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialCognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults.
We tested the hypothesis that attention, memory, and executive function are impaired to a greater extent in passively heat-stressed older adults than in passively heat-stressed younger adults. In a randomized, crossover design, 15 older (age: 69 ± 5 yr) and 14 younger (age: 30 ± 4 yr) healthy subjects underwent passive heat stress and time control trials. Cognitive tests (outcomes: accuracy and reaction time) from the CANTAB battery evaluated attention [rapid visual processing (RVP), choice reaction time (CRT)], memory [spatial span (SSP), pattern recognition memory (PRM)], and executive function [one touch stockings of Cambridge (OTS)]. ⋯ For tests that measured executive function, overall, accuracy on OTS was lower, and reaction time was slower in the older group (P ≤ 0.05). Reaction time generally improved during heat stress, but there was no effect of heat stress on accuracy in either group. These data indicate that moderate increases in body temperature during passive heat stress do not differentially compromise cognitive function in younger and older adults.