title: Understanding the sensory irregularities of esophageal disease.
abstract: Symptoms relating to esophageal sensory abnormalities can be encountered in the clinical environment. Such sensory abnormalities may be present in demonstrable disease, such as erosive esophagitis, and in the ostensibly normal esophagus, such as non-erosive reflux disease or functional chest pain. In this review, the authors discuss esophageal sensation and the esophageal pain system. In addition, the authors provide a primer concerning the techniques that are available for investigating the autonomic nervous system, neuroimaging and neurophysiology of esophageal sensory function. Such technological advances, whilst not readily available in the clinic may facilitate the stratification and individualization of therapy in disorders of esophageal sensation in the future.
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.|b Centre for Digestive Diseases, Wingate Institute of Neurogastroenterology, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK.|c Department of Gastroenterology , University Hospitals of North Midlands , Stoke on Trent , UK.
authors.forename: Adam D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.|d Department of Radiology , Aalborg University Hospital , Aalborg , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens Brøndum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Frøkjaer
authors.affiliation: e GIOME, Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology , College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University , Chongqing , China.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gregersen
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , University Hospitals of North Midlands , Stoke on Trent , UK.
authors.forename: Sheeba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lelic
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lottrup
authors.affiliation: a Mech-Sense , University Hospital Aalborg , Aalborg , Denmark.
authors.forename: Asbjørn Mohr
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drewes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010147:Pain Measurement; D058748:Pain Perception; D017288:Pain Threshold
keywords: Esophagus; pain; pathophysiology; sensation