Social Security Disability - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

I found this article on AOL.com., http://h30405.www3.hp.com/print/pdf/6GK6VB7PO1CD/news_large. There is new research on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), also known as Spastic Colon or Mucous Colitis, is a digestive disorder characterized by an abnormal increase in the mobility of the intestines (small and large). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. This disorder is common; about 50 percent of all gastrointestinal problems are associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There is no organic disease present, only the function of the intestines is affected. However, based on the symptoms, this disease can be confused with other organic bowel diseases.

IBS, a condition that causes discomfort and pain in the abdomen, diarrhea and constipation, affects about 15 percent of Americans, most of them women.

New research suggests a more concrete link between the brain and irritable bowel syndrome in females.

Scientists from UCLA and Canada’s McGill University found that female study participants with IBS showed structural changes in regions of the brain that have a role in attention, emotion regulation, pain inhibition and the processing of instinctive information.

Though the authors said it’s generally believed that IBS is the result of interactions between the brain and gut, their study published in the journal Gastroenterology, is the first of its size to suggest brain structure plays a role in IBS symptoms.