Twenty nine patients, aged 5-16 years, were studied to evaluate whether biofeedback training is effective in treating children with chronic constipation and encopresis; the clinical outcome at six weeks and 12 months was also evaluated. Patients received on average five biofeedback training sessions. The existence of external anal contraction or decreased rectal sensation in 16 (55%) and eight ...

TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest Hosseinzadeh et al's paper (1). The aim of their study was to screen two categories of psychiatric disorders in chronic functional constipation, using HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) on fifty four constipated patients. They concluded that the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in cons...

syndrome. In: Grudzinskas JG, Chard T, Chapman M, Cuckle HS, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993 (in press). 25 Laundon C, Spencer K, Macri JN, Buchanan P. Tumer syndrome detection by MSAFP/Free Beta (hCG) screening. J Med Genet 1993;30:340-1. 26 Spencer K, Mallard AS, Coombes EJ, Macri JN. Prenatal screening for trisomy 18 with free f3 human chorionic gonadotrophin. BMJ 1993 (in p...

How does biofeedback treatment for constipation work? Patients are taught appropriate pelvic floor co-ordination, but other factors such as supervision coming off laxatives, cerebral disinhibition of control of colonic motor function, and establishment of a regular toileting regime are also important. Recent studies have shown that improvement is associated with improved activity of the direct ...

Chronic constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide in adults and children and, more severely affected individuals with fecal impaction, has been associated to significant impairments quality life social functioning [1].