Interacting influences of gender and chronic pain status on parasympathetically mediated heart rate variability in adolescents and young adults.

Considerable research links chronic pain to autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, specifically low heart rate variability (HRV) mediated by reduced parasympathetic activity. However, little is known about factors that influence ANS function in chronic pain. The ANS is the primary pathway for brain-gut communication, making it of particular interest in gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, characterized by functional abdominal pain (FAP).

Effect of diabetes mellitus on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of drugs.

The effects of diabetes mellitus on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs have been well described in experimental animal models; however, only minimal data exist for humans and the current knowledge regarding the effects of diabetes on these properties remains unclear. Nevertheless, it has been observed that the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs are changed in subjects with diabetes. It has been reported that diabetes may affect the pharmacokinetics of various drugs by affecting (i) absorption, due to changes in subcutaneous adipose blood flow, muscle blood flow and gastric emptying; (ii) distribution, due to non-enzymatic glycation of albumin; (iii) biotransformation, due to regulation of enzymes/transporters involved in drug biotransformation; and (iv) excretion, due to nephropathy.

Autonomic activity and somatic symptoms in response to success vs. failure on a cognitive task: a comparison of chronic abdominal pain patients and well children.

Objectives: To compare autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and somatic symptoms in chronic abdominal pain (CAP) patients and well children during (a) resting baseline, (b) training in a cognitive task, and (c) random assignment to success vs. failure on the task.

Methods: The ECG was continuously recorded with a dual lead system (Biopac) in 45 CAP patients and 22 well children, ages 9-16 years (mean age=12.

Rome II versus Rome III classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders in pediatric chronic abdominal pain.

Objectives: The updated Rome III criteria for pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) include new FGID categories and changes to the Rome II criteria for various FGIDs. To our knowledge, the implications of these revisions for patient classification have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to compare classification results using Rome II versus Rome III criteria for FGIDs associated with chronic abdominal pain.

Sex, psychosocial factors, and reported symptoms influence referral for esophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsy results in children with chronic abdominal pain.

Objectives: To identify symptoms and psychosocial factors that predicted referral for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and discriminated between patients with positive versus negative biopsy findings.

Patients And Methods: Children age 8 to 16 years old and parents completed validated questionnaires assessing gastrointestinal symptoms and psychosocial characteristics. Biopsy results of esophagus, stomach, and duodenum were reviewed.

Multiple somatic symptoms linked to positive screen for depression in pediatric patients with chronic abdominal pain.

Objectives: Abdominal pain is a frequent childhood complaint, comprising 2% to 4% of all reasons for pediatric office visits. Patients referred for evaluation of chronic abdominal pain (CAP) frequently present with comorbid nonspecific somatic symptoms that may complicate the medical evaluation and lead to unnecessary diagnostic tests and procedures. We tested the hypothesis that multiple nongastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in children presenting with CAP is a marker for clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms.