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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Central nervous system processing of emotions in children with faecal incontinence

A Becker1, M Rubly, D El Khatib

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 12, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with faecal incontinence (FI) show heightened emotional processing responses, suggesting a neurobiological vulnerability linked to the enteric (ENS) and central nervous systems (CNS). This differs from children with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Faecal incontinence (FI) is a common condition affecting both the enteric (ENS) and central nervous systems (CNS).
  • Understanding the neurophysiological basis of emotional processing in children with FI is crucial for effective treatment.
  • Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shares some neurodevelopmental pathways, making it a relevant comparison group.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To neurophysiologically analyze the central processing of emotions in children with FI.
  • To compare emotional processing in children with FI, healthy controls, and children with ADHD.
  • To investigate potential neurobiological links between ENS and CNS in FI.

Main Methods:

  • Included 14 children with FI and constipation, 9 with non-retentive FI, 15 controls, and 13 with ADHD.
  • Utilized physical exams, sonography, Child Behavior Checklist, psychiatric interviews, and intelligence tests.
  • Recorded acoustic evoked potentials and event-related potentials using standardized methods with emotional and stool-related picture stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Children with FI exhibited significantly stronger responses to most stimuli across frontal, central, and parietal regions compared to controls.
  • Children with constipation showed even stronger responses.
  • No significant differences in emotional processing or acoustic evoked potentials were observed between children with ADHD and controls.

Conclusions:

  • Children with FI demonstrate heightened emotional processing, indicating a potential neurobiological vulnerability.
  • This vulnerability may stem from the intricate association between the enteric (ENS) and central nervous systems (CNS).
  • Findings differentiate FI's emotional processing from that seen in ADHD.
Abstract

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