Year: 2018
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Chronic visceral pain is the most common complication of many functional disorders that do not have a defined pathophysiological cause. Functional pain syndromes include common disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (gastroenterology), chronic pelvic pain (gynecology), interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (urology), fibromyalgia (rheumatology), across multiple medical disciplines. Patients suffering from functional diseases may progress to cognitive decline and depression through neuroplastic changes not only at the level of the central nervous system but also in the periphery. Moreover, most functional diseases are much more prevalent in women than men suggesting estrogen modulation of nociceptive pathways. Defining the etiology of functional diseases for possible therapeutic interventions will have a significant impact on our understanding of observed gender differences and on improving patient’s quality of life.
Source: InTech eBooks
Author: Victor V. Chaban
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: National Institutes of Health
OpenAlex ID: W2805530416