Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2025
Video Imaging and Spatiotemporal Maps to Analyze Gastrointestinal Motility in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2016
Quality of Life and Bidirectional Gut-Brain Interactions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome From Adolescence to Adulthood
Jessica Sjölund1, Inger Kull2, Anna Bergström3
1Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Backgrounds And Aims:
Reports on cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological distress, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the adolescent and young adult general population are few. We aimed to describe cross-sectional associations between HRQoL and IBS in adolescence and young adulthood, and examine bidirectional gut-brain interactions in the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Methods:
We included 3391 subjects from a prospective birth cohort study, with data on IBS at 16 years of age and 24 years of age. IBS was assessed using the pediatric Rome III (16 years of age) and the adult Rome IV (24 years of age) diagnostic questionnaires. HRQoL and psychological distress were assessed through EQ-5D. Sex-adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine associations between overall HRQoL/psychological distress at 16 years of age and new-onset IBS at 24 years of age (brain-gut) and between IBS at 16 years of age and new-onset psychological distress at 24 years of age (gut-brain).
Results:
In subjects with vs without IBS at 16 and 24 years of age, overall HRQoL (EQ visual analog scale, EQ-5D index value) was lower, and it was more common reporting problems in 4 of 5 EQ-5D dimensions (all P < .05). EQ-5D index value at 16 years of age was inversely associated (odds ratio [OR], 0.1, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-0.6), and psychological distress at 16 years of age was positively associated (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.3), with new-onset IBS at 24 years of age. Having any abdominal pain-related disorder of gut-brain interaction at 16 years of age was associated with new-onset psychological distress at 24 years of age (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.5).
Conclusions:
Adolescents and young adults with IBS in the general population have impaired HRQoL. Bidirectional gut-brain interactions are relevant for symptom generation in abdominal pain-related disorders of gut-brain interaction, and for HRQoL impairment and psychological distress in the transition from childhood to adulthood.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:17Irritable Bowel Syndrome I: Introduction
IBS is a chronic condition that can persist over a long period or recur frequently.
The pathogenesis of IBS involves a complex interplay of the following factors:
Altered...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome III: Medical and Nursing Management
01:23Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...