THE pasricha lab
Dr. Trisha Pasricha is the Director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Her NIH-funded laboratory studies dopamine signaling in the gut and the gastrointestinal complications of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Select recent scientific publications are below:
Enteric dopaminergic signalling has a critical role in gastrointestinal motility, maintaining mucosal integrity and modulating the gut microbiome. In this Review, we provide an overview of dopamine metabolism and signalling pathways in the central nervous system and periphery and their effects on gastrointestinal health and disease.
In this nationwide cohort study of patients with T2DM, GLP-1RA use was associated with 44% lower odds of PUD. In our propensity score-matched subgroup, switching to GLP-1RA as second-line therapy was associated with a 56% lower hazard of PUD vs insulin. These findings indicate an association between GLP-1RA use and reduced risk of PUD.
In this cohort study, a history of upper gastrointestinal MD was associated with a 76% elevated risk of developing a clinical PD diagnosis. Increased vigilance among patients with MD for future PD risk may be warranted.
In this cross-sectional study, participants who used smartphones on the toilet spent significantly more time there than those who did not, with 37.3% of smartphone users spending more than five minutes per visit on the toilet, compared to 7.1% of non-smartphone users. In a multivariate logistic regression, smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, exercise activity, straining and fiber intake.
Myeloid sarcoma is a solid tumor
manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia and can occur without blood or bone
marrow disease. Here we describe a case of a patient who presented with myeloid sarcoma in the upper gastrointestinal tract despite successful prior bone marrow transplantation.
Gastrointestinal symptoms in Parkinson's disease are among the most prevalent and debilitating of complications and present unique diagnostic and management challenges. This review will explore the common gastrointestinal manifestations of PD with an emphasis on clinical presentation, workup, and treatment strategies.