Rectal Sensation and Clinical Relevance

Patient Factors Influencing Rectal Sensation

Between 20-60% of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) demonstrate enhanced visceral perception to mechanical distension, according to the American Gastroenterological Association 1, 2
Visceral hypersensitivity correlates positively with symptom severity, even after adjusting for psychological comorbidity, as reported by the American Gastroenterological Association 2
Depression is associated with elevated first rectal sensory threshold volumes, which predicts poor response to biofeedback therapy, as found by the American Gastroenterological Association 3
Patients with lower baseline thresholds for first rectal sensation and urge are more likely to respond to therapeutic interventions, according to the American Gastroenterological Association 3

Altered rectal sensation should be evaluated through rectal sensory testing (balloon distension or mucosal electrosensitivity), not sphincter pressure measurements alone, as recommended by the American Gastroenterological Association 5