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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Functional Assessment of Intestinal Motility and Gut Wall Inflammation in Rodents: Analyses in a Standardized Model of Intestinal Manipulation
Published on: September 11, 2012
Feasibility and acceptability of gut-directed hypnosis on inflammatory bowel disease: a brief communication
Laurie Keefer1, Ali Keshavarzian
1Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. laurie.keefer@northwestern.edu
Abstract:
Hypnotically assisted treatments have been used to reduce stress, improve gastrointestinal motility, strengthen immune function, and potentially reduce inflammation. Such treatments may also help reduce disease flares and improve quality of life in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The authors report the results of a case series of 8 white female patients with inactive IBD. All participants initiated and completed treatment, supporting the general acceptability of hypnotically assisted treatment among IBD patients. There was a significant improvement in IBD-quality of life scores for the group posttreatment, t(7) = -3.38, p = .01, with a mean improvement in quality of life of 29 points with significant changes in all 4 subscales. No negative effects of treatment were found.
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