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(1) Background: To evaluate volume of subcortical structures such as hippocampus, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, caudate in patients with non-specific digestive diseases (functional dyspepsia—FD, irritable bowel syndrome—IBS) and non-specific inflammatory bowel diseases—IBD (colitis ulcerosa and Crohn's disease) in comparison to healthy control group (CON). (2) Material: The analysis included data obtained from 57 patients (FD-18, IBS-20, IBD-19) and 19 persons in control group. Both groups underwent examination in a 3T scanner (Achieva TX Philips Healthcare). (3) Results: Significant differences between the IBD group and Control group in volume of left thalamus and IBD group vs Control group in volume of right thalamus. (4) Conclusions: The brain-gut axis hypothesis explains connection between biological behavior, emotions and cognitive functions in patients with gastrointestinal disease. We found that there is a difference between volume of thalamus in IBD patients in comparison to both IBS and control group and it occurred to be smaller. Excess inflammation can be linked with psychological disorders like depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties and/or fatigue. Therefore, there is a need for using treatment both for depressive symptoms and IBD to reduce the causes and effects of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic digestive system conditions which significantly influence the everyday life of patients. Exhausting intestinal discomfort might cause a strong feeling of distress and lowers the quality of life. This study was based on the question: how are the sense of coherence, social support, socio-demographic variables and the duration of disease related to the quality of life of individuals suffering from IBD. Materials and methods: Thirty-nine individuals suffering from IBD were examined: 21 with ulcerative colitis, 17 with Crohn's disease and 1 with microscopic colitis. The participants completed a socio-demographic survey, and Life Orientation Questionnaire (SOC-29) and Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS) questionnaires. The quality of life was examined by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) questionnaire. Results: The overall rate of the sense of coherence with its components and the available instrumental and emotional support was found to be significantly connected to the patients' quality of life. The level of education differentiated the examined patients in terms of the quality of life. Conclusions: Psychological resources can play a significant role in the assessment of the impact of chronic disease on patients' everyday life. It is important to focus on their importance in raising the quality of life of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There are studies demonstrating the relation between psychological factors and efficiency of treatment in the course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Aim: To investigate the relation between cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and the quality of life, as well as the sense of satisfaction with life, in patients undergoing the biological treatment. Results: A total of 14 females and 19 males were included in this analysis. The results did not prove that the disease diagnosis (UC or CD) differed the level of psychological resources. However, older respondents achieved lower results in cognitive flexibility. A positive correlation was observed between both cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and different dimensions of quality of life and satisfaction with life. Conclusions: There is a relationship between both cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and health-related quality of life. These factors can be considered to be a kind of resource that helps to cope with challenges posed by a chronic illness, including IBD. Therefore, it is significant to increase their level by applying tailored therapeutic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]