Idiopathic constipation by colonic dysfunction

Abstract

The personality of two groups of constipated women (by delayed colonic transit or by colonic inertia) was compared to that of two control groups of arthritic patients (rheumatoid or degenerative disease) with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). All subjects suffered from chronic pain. Constipated women were found to have significantly higher scores on the hypochondria, hysteria, control, and low back pain scales and a lower score on the masculinity-femininity scale. Discriminant analysis permitted us to sort out constipated from arthritic patients in 83% of the cases, on the basis of only the personality data. In women with constipation by delayed colonic transit, multiple regression analysis demonstrated a close link (r = 0.90; P less than 0.001) between transit time in the ascending colon and levels of anxiety. It is concluded that women with constipation of colonic origin have a different pattern of personality than arthritic women and that severe constipation may play the role of a defense mechanism, where psychophysiologic responses to life stresses replace normal emotional reactions.

Can Intestinal Constipation Be Modulated by Prebiotics, Probiotics and Symbiotics?

“…In recent years, scholars have noticed an association between emotional components and intestinal constipation, such as the presence of stress, anorexia, depression, anxiety and hypochondria [34] [35]. Investigating the relation between these emotional symptoms and the microbia imbalance in constipated patients can be subject to oncoming studies.…”

Effect of Total Abdominal Hysterectomy on Pelvic Floor Function

“…In a published series of patients with constipation (27), IBS, and functional abdominal pain (28)(29)(30), there is an excess of women who Effect of Total Abdominal Hysterectomy Y CME Review Article 301 have had hysterectomy. This could be because women with dysfunctional bowel symptoms are more likely to be anxious and polysymptomatic (31)(32)(33). This could also be because women with unexplained lower abdominal pain are often referred to a gynecologist (34,35) who might not consider a bowel origin of the pain until hysterectomy is done (36).…”

Psychosocial Background and Intervention in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome

“…Constipation was shown to be related to previous and current history of disturbed childhood and psychosexual and personality problems [34]and seems to be accessible to behavioural modification [35]. Devroede et al [36]demonstrated a linear relationship between the anxiety/depression scores measured with the MMPI and mean transit time in the ascending colon (fig. 2).…”

“…Correlation between psychological features and colonic motility in 19 patients with IBS. According to Devroede et al [36]. …”