Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
Could eating fruit more often keep depression at bay? New research
Study found frequent fruit eaters had greater positive mental wellbeing The study surveyed 428 adults and looked at the relationship between their consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweet and savoury food snacks and their psychological health The more often people ate fruit, the lower they scored for depression and the higher for mental wellbeing. People who frequently eat fruit are more likely to report greater positive mental wellbeing and are less likely to report symptoms of depression than those who do not, according to new research from the College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University. The researchers’ findings suggest that how often we eat fruit is more important to our psychological health than the total amount we consume during a typical week. The team also found that people who eat savoury snacks such as crisps, which are low in nutrients, are more likely to report greater levels of anxiety. Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the study surveyed 428 adults from across the UK and looked at the relationship between their consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweet and savoury food snacks, and their psychological health. After taking demographic and lifestyle factors such as age, general health and exercise into account, the research found that both nutrient-rich fruit and nutrient-poor savoury snacks appeared to be linked to psychological health. They also found that there was no direct association between eating vegetables and psychological health. Based on the survey, the more often people ate fruit, the lower they scored for depression and the higher for mental wellbeing, independent of the overall quantity of fruit intake. People who frequently snacked on nutrient-poor savoury foods (such as crisps) were more likely to experience ‘everyday mental lapses’ (known as subjective cognitive failures) and report lower mental wellbeing. A greater number of lapses, was associated with higher reported symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, and lower mental wellbeing scores. By contrast, there was no link between these everyday memory lapses and fruit and vegetable intake or sweet snacks, suggesting a unique relationship between these nutrient-poor savoury snacks, everyday mental lapses, and psychological health. Examples of these frustrating little everyday mental lapses included forgetting where items had been placed, forgetting the purpose of going into certain rooms, and being unable to retrieve names of acquaintances whose name was on the ‘tip of the tongue’. Lead author, PhD student Nicola-Jayne Tuck commented: “Very little is known about how diet may affect mental health and wellbeing, and while we did not directly examine causality here, our findings could suggest that frequently snacking on nutrient-poor savoury foods may increase everyday mental lapses, which in turn reduces psychological health. “Other studies have found an association between fruit and vegetables and mental health, but few have looked at fruit and vegetables separately – and even fewer evaluate both frequency and quantity of intake. “Both fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, fibre and essential micronutrients which promote optimal brain function, but these nutrients can be lost during cooking. As we are more likely to eat fruit raw, this could potentially explain its stronger influence on our psychological health. “It is possible that changing what we snack on could be a really simple and easy way to improve our mental wellbeing. Conversely, it is also possible that the forthcoming restriction of processed snack foods at checkouts, due to come in this October, could not only improve the country’s physical health, but mental health too. “Overall, it’s definitely worth trying to get into the habit of reaching for the fruit bowl.” For more information about the School of Psychology, please visit our website.
Feeling Stressed? You’re More Likely To Procrastinate. A Neuroscientist Explains Why.
Procrastination can be thought of as losing the never-ending battle of approach vs. avoidance, with avoidance as the victor. According to Alicia Walf, a neuroscientist and senior lecturer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, when we are stressed, we are more likely to want to avoid not just the task at hand but the negative emotions we feel around that task as well. That’s because at a basic neuroscientific level, we have a bias toward the present and prefer the immediate reward of feeling good when the brain releases the neurochemical dopamine. Humans have a hard time considering consequences of inaction in the present. Dr. Walf says that we tend to learn associations particularly strongly when there is a rapid release of dopamine. This is one way procrastination can become a habit, which is hard to break. Some people actually procrastinate in order to get that burst of energy that motivates us to a quick completion of the task. This type of dynamic could involve basic emotional and reward structures of the brain. Unfortunately, although avoiding the task may make you feel good in the short-term, this is misguided because it begets longer-term negative consequences. This is the crux of procrastination. Our bias toward the here and now tends to produce avoidance of thinking about the long-term until it is too late. Hence, a vicious cycle of avoiding the negative now then becomes negative later. This pattern is compounded because as much as procrastination can cause stress, stress can increase procrastination. How can stress increase procrastination? The physiological and psychological function of stress is to refocus our attention on challenges and dangers so that we can deal with them. This happens very quickly, which has been advantageous to our species to avoid danger and approach safety without much thought. In this case, our limbic brain, including our amygdala, which is a sensor for danger and our hippocampus, which promotes storage of those memories, is driving this neural response. Other regions involved in emotion regulation, attention, and decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, make contact with this limbic brain, but these regions are slower to act and more deliberate. Recent studies have shown less activity in these higher brain regions compared to the limbic brain during procrastination. To reduce procrastination, it may be helpful to deliberately refocus attention on what is important and by using mindful techniques. The science in mindfulness supports a benefit related to these connections between limbic and higher cortical brain structures. On the flipside, stress causes us to refocus attention on what causes the stress and our reactions to it, rather than the task that may be at hand. When we are not in immediate danger from the stress, we still feel stressed out and fall into a pattern of overthinking and focusing on the wrong task. The wrong task in this scenario is procrastination driven by stress. In the end, Walf says, anything that people can do to refocus and reduce stress may be a useful approach to conquer procrastination.
Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment hosts showcase event to highlight research expertise
Research showcase held to highlight research underway at the Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment Researchers met with local clinicians and funding bodies to talk through their latest developments The event will take place each year with a plan to invite guests back to update them on how the institute has progressed. Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) held its inaugural research showcase event on Thursday 7 July at Conference Aston. The yearly event is an opportunity to highlight its research projects and meet with the Institute’s external partners, funding bodies and professional colleagues. Guests were invited to join IHN’s research and teaching team to learn more about its vision and hear about individual research projects currently underway. The centre’s co-directors Professor Jackie Blissett and Professor Gavin Woodhall talked about IHN’s vision which includes: • unlocking the potential of research to support child health and development • answering the questions that matter to children and young people, their families and the services that support them • developing the next generation of research leaders in child health and development. Researchers working on projects including treatments for drug resistant epilepsy, childhood eating behaviour, improving support for people with rare neurogenetic conditions and diagnosis of paediatric brain cancer using magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence met with external partners and clinicians to talk them through their latest projects and developments. The event was also attended by Aston University Interim Vice-Chancellor, Saskia Loer Hansen, Executive Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, Anthony Hilton and other members of the University executive team, together with academic researchers in the University’s College of Health and Life Sciences. There was also an opportunity to meet all the Institute’s researchers, ask questions and network. Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, said: “After a successful launch of our new £2.8 million MRI scanner earlier this year, it is great that we were able to come together again and showcase all of our research that goes on in IHN, particularly to our external partners, including local clinicians and funding bodies. “This is our inaugural research showcase and we plan to invite guests back to Aston University each year to update them on how the institute has progressed with its research. “As a research institute that puts children and young people at the heart of what we do, it is important to be in touch with all of our partners from a cross section of the community to update them on all of our latest developments and find ways to collaborate further – particularly in clinical settings.” For more information about research being undertaken at AIHN please go to our website. If you are interested in the courses we have available in this area please go here.
Addiction expert on FDA plan to lower nicotine levels
Erin Calipari, assistant professor of pharmacology, is available for media commentary on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s plans for a proposed rule to require companies to lower the nicotine levels in cigarettes. Erin is lead researcher at the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, and her research focuses on the neuroscience behind addiction. She can speak to how the brain gets addicted to substances and the many ways in which addiction takes a toll on the human body, as well as nicotine dosing. Much of Erin's research also focuses on gender differences in addiction and the need to understand female-specific factors that contribute to Substance Use Disorder.
Music in nature: from birds and cicadas to whales
When Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described music as the “universal language of mankind,” he was only partially right. Why? Because the roots of music trace all the way back to nature, specifically the animal kingdom, which uses it to communicate or simply commune. Author Michael Spitzer goes even further, describing music as our “umbilical cord” to Mother Nature, noting, “The very simple answer to where music begins is in animals, because birds sing and whales sing.” NJIT’s David Rothenberg knows this first-hand, as a composer and jazz clarinetist who jams with fish large and small and hordes of whirring cicadas – insects that spark both his heart and brain. As he explains, “Playing along with these guys is like joining into a fantastic trove with millions of singers.” As a researcher who investigates the musicality of animals, Rothenberg speaks authoritatively and animatedly about the music of fish, birds and yes, cicadas, identifying three distinct sounds they make during their massive mating call every 17 years. In short, if you want to know what makes nature sing, why and how, he’s your source. To interview him, simply click on the button below.
Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment officially launches new £2.8m MRI scanner
A new £2.8 million MRI scanner has been unveiled at Aston University. The showcase took place in Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment on Monday 25 April. The event was attended by Aston University Interim Vice-Chancellor Saskia Loer Hansen and other members of the University executive team, together with academic researchers in the University’s College of Health and Life Sciences. After an official ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Institute co-directors Professor Jackie Blissett and Professor Gavin Woodhall, guests were invited to take a tour of the new MRI scanner facilities where imaging researchers were on hand to showcase and discuss their research for which the new MRI scanner is a vital facility. Interim Vice-Chancellor Saskia Loer Hansen said: “I am delighted that Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment is home to this state-of-the-art facility. Having a new MRI scanner on our campus will not only enable our scientists to undertake their neuroimaging research, but will also benefit so many patients in the region who urgently need this facility as part of their medical treatment. “Our new MRI scanner further highlights the world-class research that our scientists are undertaking at Aston University.” The new Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3T MRI scanner was installed over a period of four months starting in November 2021, including the work undertaken to remove the old machine from the building. The scanner has been made ‘child friendly’ with suitable images and the room which hosts the scanner has a wall mural of cherry blossom trees. The new MRI scanner will enhance the world-class neuroimaging research facilities within the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment and support the development of the next generation of researchers. Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, said: “The new MRI scanner will enhance the world-class neuroimaging research facilities within the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment. It will allow us to answer the questions that matter to children and young people, their families and the services that support them.” Aston University researchers use advanced neuroimaging techniques to examine brain health in children with neurological diseases and developmental disorders and are developing a research programme focused on children and young people to deliver a new understanding of development, disorder and disease and the interventions that will make a difference. The new scanner will also enable the Institute to provide the most recent innovations in MRI for patients visiting through the clinical service Aston University Imaging. Patients visiting for MRI scans come through private referrals, as well as from local institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Aston Villa Football Club.
Aston University MEG scanning facilities used by start-up to launch new brain health service
MEG scanning services at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) have been used to launch the world’s first brain-imaging service to measure and assess brain health. Commercial brain imaging service Myndspan launched a service to assess brain health and identify concussions, with an event at Aston University. Start-up, MYndspan, was founded in 2020 by Caitlin Baltzer, former vice president of operations at functional brain imaging company Croton Healthcare and Janne Huhtala, previously chief executive of MEGIN, the global leader in functional brain imaging. The service was created to support brain health across populations, using cutting edge brain scanning technology to monitor and extend healthy cognitive lifespans. The brain imaging service is powered by a non-invasive brain scanning technology called Magnetoencephalography (MEG), which measures the electrical signals between neurons to form a highly detailed map of brain activity and function. The MEG scanner, which is located in the Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, at Aston University, identifies and observes functional ‘invisible injuries’ to the brain, such as concussion or PTSD, that can’t be seen from an MRI image of the brain. MYndspan’s service combines MEG scans with gamified tests of cognitive function, which measure a range of mental processes such as attention, memory, and visuospatial processing. Using these two measures of brain health, cognitive function and brain function, MYndspan provides a comprehensive overview, detailed in a thorough, easy-to-understand report of how a person’s brain is behaving and why. Among the service’s first customers are neuroscientist and author Dr Dean Burnett who is using MYndspan to monitor the effect increasing physical activity has on his brain over time and Vicky Macqueen former England Rugby player and chief executive of Didi Rugby, who is using the service to measure her pre-concussion baseline for playing contact sports safely. Through routine monitoring of personal brain activity, MYndspan helps people assess and understand their brain health. This helps to identify issues before symptoms emerge and supports optimal lifestyle and clinical intervention. Its first application is concussion, where the technology can support the recovery of an estimated 3.8 million athletes who experience sports-related concussion annually. Janne Huhtala, MYndspan co-founder said: “MYndspan’s technology can identify concussed brain activity and objectively identify and monitor recovery from a concussion. Currently, individuals are deciding to go back to play based on how they feel – a decision that can have life changing consequences. “We think athletes deserve to have objective information about where they are in their recovery, to make the best and most informed decisions.” MYndspan’s service will be available to the general public at Aston University’s Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN), an international leader in advanced technology to explore brains, development and healthy behaviours. IHN at Aston University is the first of many planned locations around the world where individuals will be able to access the service. MYndspan co-founder Caitlin Baltzer added: “The brain is hugely complex and exciting, and whilst there is a vast body of research and knowledge already available, there is still so much for us to learn about how it functions and changes over time. “In a world where we can track and optimise every part of our health, and our lives, the brain remains neglected. At MYndspan, we believe that every person has the right to better brain health and this begins with knowing our brains. “We are very excited to launch our brain scanning technology at Aston University as a demonstration for how digital health tools can support brain health and ultimately help more people recover and age better.” Dr Dean Burnett, neuroscientist and author, including of the Guardian blog ‘Brain Flapping’, said: “I'm a big proponent of anything that helps people understand their brains better, and MYndspan's new high-tech but easily accessible approach looks to be extremely useful in that regard.”
Aston University psychologists to take part in major study to improve concussion prognosis
Researchers from the Aston Institute of Heath and Neurodevelopment, in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University, are taking part in a major multiple partner study to identify new ways to accurately predict whether patients will develop long-term complications as a consequence of concussion. Experts from the University of Birmingham and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, in collaboration with Defence Medical Services, are to lead the UK consortium carrying out the study. With year one funded by the Ministry of Defence (£2m) and projected to run over eight years, the multi-faceted study will include a trial involving 400 civilians and 400 military personnel aged over 18 with a new diagnosis of concussion (also known as a mild traumatic brain injury or mTBI) which has resulted in them needing hospital treatment or rehabilitation. At specific time intervals over two years, the participants will take part in nine different areas of research using a variety of medical techniques and assessments to establish if these can be used routinely by medics as ‘biomarkers’ to indicate prognosis and long term impact of concussion. Medical techniques and assessments being trialled include brain imaging and function, analysis of blood and saliva samples, and headache measures, as well as mental health, vision, balance, and cognitive performance. mTBI is common and has been declared a major global public health problem, with 1.4 million hospital visits due to head injury annually in England and Wales - 85% of which are classified as mTBI. It is also estimated that up to 9.5% of UK military personnel with a combat role are diagnosed with mTBI annually. The research will involve 20 University of Birmingham experts working across disciplines, including neurology, psychology, sports medicine, mathematics and academics within the University’s Centre for Human Brain Health, and will be coordinated by Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit. It will also be driven by experts at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall; Imperial College London; University of Westminster; University of Nottingham; Royal Centre for Defence Medicine; and University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. Dr Caroline Witton, reader in psychology and scientific lead for magnetoencephalography (MEG) at the Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN), Aston University said: "I am very excited to be part of this landmark study of traumatic brain injury. At IHN we are focussed on improving lives through brain imaging and this work has the potential to help the thousands of people each year who suffer long term disability following a concussion." Dr Jan Novak, lecturer in psychology and MRI lead at Aston University said: "It is outstanding that this prestigious work is being conducted at Aston University’s Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment. We will provide our expertise in brain imaging, prediction of outcomes in patient groups, and credentials in mTBI research to enrich the study. It is hoped that it will build upon existing collaborations with other local institutions and government bodies such as the Ministry of Defence." Alex Sinclair, professor of Neurology at the University of Birmingham and chief investigator of the mTBI-Predict project explained: “Although classified as mild, and many recover, the consequences of concussion can be profound with many patients suffering long-term disability due to persistent headaches, fatigue, imbalance, memory disturbance, and poor mental health including post-traumatic stress disorder, while it can have a significant impact on the economy through loss of working hours and demand on the health system. Identifying those patients most at risk of these disabling consequences is not currently possible. There is therefore a pressing need to develop accurate, reproducible biomarkers of mTBI that are practical for use in a clinical setting and can predict long-term complications. "Our programme of research will deliver a step change in the care of patients with mTBI, enabling a personalised medicine approach to target early intervention for those most in need but also identifying those with a good prognosis who can return rapidly to activities of daily living.” Co-Chief Investigator, Air Vice-Marshall Rich Withnall QHS Director of Defence Healthcare, UK Ministry of Defence said: “I am delighted that the Defence Medical Services, including the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall, will be working hand-in-glove with class-leading civilian colleagues and the National Rehabilitation Centre Programme. I fully support this ground-breaking research which I am confident will lead to significant clinical innovation to benefit military and civilian patients and have a translational positive impact for sporting activities from grass-roots to elite levels.” Chief Executive of Headway, Peter McCabe said: “We know that even a seemingly minor head injury can have a major impact on a person’s life – and often the lives of those closest to them. This is particularly the case if the brain injury goes undiagnosed or its effects are mistaken for other conditions. The frustration of not having an accurate diagnosis or receiving the right support can be compounded by the lack of a clear recovery pathway or timeline. We therefore welcome this study in the hope that it can advance our understanding of concussion and mTBI.”
Podcast: Women in business - why it’s a strength, not a weakness
Self-confidence is the key when it comes to overcoming barriers in the male-dominated boardroom Unlock the value of mentoring and the ‘coaching culture’ to get the best out of yourself and your business Successful female business leader launched company while doing an MBA at Aston University and caring for her baby. Budding female entrepreneurs should ignore the “voice on the shoulder” undermining their confidence and fulfil their dream of starting their own business. That is the advice given by a professor at Aston University and a successful female business leader in a podcast created to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March. Helen Higson, professor of higher education learning and management at Aston Business School, spoke about the challenges facing women in the latest episode of the ‘Aston means business' podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. Daniella Genas, who launched her consultancy company She’s The Boss International while studying for her MBA at Aston Business School, was also interviewed on the podcast. Professor Higson, who was awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to higher education, said she had three main tips for women seeking to start their own businesses. She said: “Be yourself, be authentic, don’t try to mimic anyone else, and don’t let that voice on the shoulder chipping away at your confidence win out. “Where this lack of confidence comes from, I do not know, but self-doubt can really get in the way, so have a conversation with your lack of self-confidence by saying ‘shut up you, I will show you’.” The second piece of advice was to “challenge yourself kindly, be very kind to yourself, and don’t beat yourself up”, while the third was to grasp the “power of mentoring and coaching”, with Professor Higson herself having trained as an executive coach during lockdown. She added: “Coaching culture is fashionable now but it’s actually only trying to help people to take responsibility for maximising their own performance.” Daniella Genas, who also completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme at Aston Business School, has similar advice for women looking to emulate her success. She explained that the first issue was for women to “see your difference as a strength, not as a weakness”. She said: “If more women embraced their femininity, their knowledge and competence, and stop allowing the fact that they are women to make them second guess themselves, we’d be able to get so much further.” Ms Genas said women entrepreneurs should also focus on key systems when building businesses so they are not heavily reliant on the owner. She said: “If you do need to step away to have a child, you are [then] not put in a position where you have to sell your business”. That is particularly relevant to Ms Genas as she was forced to sell her first business, Aspire For You, which she set up in 2006, after becoming pregnant with her first child. However, that decision led her to study rather than go on maternity leave, starting with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme and then the MBA at Aston Business School, while caring for her baby. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, she recalled, “really changed my mindset”. She said: “I found there were businesses double, triple, quadruple the size that I had that were facing the exact same challenges and problems.” Daniella, who obtained a distinction with her MBA, said completing the programmes gave her the confidence to say ‘I am as good as anybody else and probably better in many areas’. She added: “The idea that I may be seen as less than because I am a woman kind of left my brain.” Her company, which helps female-run businesses grow but in a sustainable way, recently became She’s The Boss International after taking on clients in the US and St Maarten. It is a far cry, she says, from being told by teachers at her comprehensive school that she should set her sights a bit lower, even asking her ‘have you considered being a cleaner?’. Professor Higson said Daniella’s story demonstrated the value of education and energy. “You shouldn’t see anything as a barrier,” she said. “I am quite small, 5ft 2in, and one woman leader said to me: ‘You’re going to find it very difficult to be a female leader because you are so small.’ I replied ‘I may be small but I make up for it with my energy.’ It’s about your impact rather than what you look like.” Episode 7 in series 4 of ‘Aston Means Business’ podcast can be found HERE.
Bowel or fecal incontinence, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is the inability to control bowel movements, causing stool (feces) to leak unexpectedly from the rectum. Also called bowel incontinence, fecal incontinence ranges from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control. Common causes of fecal incontinence include diarrhea, constipation, and muscle or nerve damage. The muscle or nerve damage may be associated with aging or with giving birth.” Dr. Satish Rao is a seasoned gastroenterologist and an expert in digestive health, particularly the brain-gut connection. Rao, a professor of medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, recently offered a Q&A on the topic of fecal incontinence with the journal Gastroenterology & Hepatology. What is the prevalence of fecal incontinence in the adult population? Surveys have indicated a prevalence of approximately 9% to 10% in the United States. A recent study reported a 14% prevalence, although this study was Internet-based and, thus, may not have included many elderly patients, as they may not be as computer-savvy as younger patients. It is safe to say that one in seven Americans currently suffers from fecal incontinence. Prevalence appears to be equal in men and women, although women outnumber men almost three to one when it comes to gastroenterology clinic visits and health care-seeking. Men may be too embarrassed to bring the issue of fecal incontinence to the attention of a physician, but when asked about it, they will admit and discuss it. Also, extracting information from a patient about fecal incontinence depends on how the question is asked. Asking patients whether they have daily leakage vs whether they ever have had leakage or have had leakage in the past month will elicit different responses that a clinician may interpret differently. It is important to remember that leakage is not a physiologic event that a healthy adult should have at any time, even once a month or once a year. Not having the capacity to control bowel evacuation or having leakage unaware of its occurrence signals an abnormality. What are notable risk factors for fecal incontinence? In women, pregnancy can be a risk factor, particularly if giving birth involves pelvic tissue damage, such as injury inflicted by forceps use or the unfortunate occurrence of a significant tear. Neurologic or back injuries are other common risk factors. Also, chronic diarrhea can progress to fecal incontinence owing to severe irritation of the rectum or irritants in stool. Further, any condition that changes the ability of rectal capacity can result in fecal incontinence. These circumstances can include surgery or radiation to the rectal area. Hear from a patient and learn more about Rao's research using magnetic stimulation to treat fecal incontinence. What treatment modalities are currently available? Simple, conservative treatment consists of educating patients about fecal incontinence and instructing them to avoid precipitating events. For example, although many people love to have a meal followed by a cup of coffee and a walk, such a sequence of activities is ill-advised for an incontinent patient: the meal provokes a gastric-colonic response, coffee is a powerful colonic stimulant, and exercise also stimulates motility. This triad creates the perfect storm for a stool leakage or accident while the patient is out on the after-dinner walk. Antidiarrheal therapies can be very effective but only in approximately 15% to 20% of patients. Another treatment is biofeedback, which can correct muscle weakness using behavioral techniques. Biofeedback provides resolution in approximately 50% to 70% of patients. The traditional model of office-based biofeedback requires that the patient make 6 or even up to 10 visits to a specialty clinic. This may mean that some patients must drive very long distances to an appropriate care facility that is staffed with trained personnel or physical therapists. This scenario presents a significant challenge for many patients, which is increasingly being recognized by health care professionals and researchers. Good devices for home-based biofeedback have been scarce; however, such a device was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The research center at Augusta University has tested it in a clinical trial setting and found it to be quite effective as a home biofeedback treatment. Dextranomer is another treatment modality. It involves injection of small beads of dextran polymers into the anorectal region. The beads form a protective cuff or a buffer to stop stool leakage. Another treatment modality is sacral nerve stimulation using the Medtronic InterStim system. The patient is outfitted with a pacemaker-like device with wires that continuously stimulate the sacral nerves that control stool events. In the case of a torn muscle, suturing the torn ends to reduce the size of the anorectal opening is usually useful for women postpartum, although the effect may not be sustained in the long term. What emerging treatments and research should clinicians be aware of? One emerging treatment developed at Augusta University’s Clinical Research Center is called translumbosacral neuromodulation therapy (TNT). TNT is similar to TAMS and involves the fecal delivery of magnetic energy through an insulated coil to the lumbosacral nerves that regulate anorectal function. The pulses generated are of the same strength as those of magnetic resonance imaging. The team at Augusta University’s research center has shown that TNT mechanistically improves nerve function and substantively improves stool leakage. A sham-controlled study and long-term study are currently underway at Augusta University and Harvard University’s Massachusetts General Hospital. These studies are being sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. A multicenter study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that the team at Augusta University also is involved with is the FIT (Fecal Incontinence Treatment) trial. This randomized study compares biofeedback with dextranomer injection. Also, as mentioned, tools are becoming available for home biofeedback that should allow many more affected patients to receive treatment because they can do so in the comfort of their own home. The research center at Augusta University is working on a novel home biofeedback protocol for the treatment of constipation and fecal incontinence. Thus, novel noninvasive tools are emerging for fecal incontinence. The repertoire of current and emerging tools holds the promise of improved outcomes for patients with fecal incontinence. Rao is also the founder of the Augusta University Digestive Health Center. He is available to speak to media regarding any aspect of digestive health -- simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
