Psychische Faktoren gastrointestinaler Erkrankungen

The list of potential or proven associations between psychological and intestinal functions in healthy subjects and in patients with functional and organic bowel disorders demonstrates that although these associations are manifold they are to a large extent incompletely understood, primarily of academic interest and not yet ready to be integrated into everyday clinical practice. However, of immediate practical relevance are psychotherapeutic as well as psychopharmacological approaches. It is, however, required that clinicians, both medical and psychological, are aware of the mechanisms of regulation of intestinal functions through central (CNS) and peripheral (ENS) neural circuits.