Validation of Surrogate Measures in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Visceral and somatic hypersensitivity as evidence of central sensory sensitization occur in
the majority of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients. We recently demonstrated abnormal
endogenous pain modulation as a cause of the sensitization in IBS and identified the
underlying dysfunctional neuromatrix using functional MR-imaging (fMRI). Endogenous pain
mechanisms regulate, fine-tune and integrate sensory and homeostatic, including
neuroendocrine, immune and autonomic nervous system processes. Specific measures of
sensitization and endogenous pain modulation correlate with clinical measures of somatic and
neuropathic pain, suggesting usefulness as surrogate markers for clinical pain outcomes.
Validation of experimental measures as surrogate markers in IBS would provide a considerable
advance in pathophysiological and therapeutic research in this pharmacoeconomically
burdensome disease.