ReviewDigestive diseases and sciences2012
The physiology of human defecation.
Review in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 175 citations in OpenAlex.
- Guideline
- The anorectal defaecation reflex: a prospective intervention study.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2022Trial
- Pelvic floor physical therapy in patients with chronic anal fissure: a randomized controlled trial.Techniques in coloproctology · 2022Trial
- Effects of Alfuzosin, an αClinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2019Trial
- Exploring brain activity differences in functional constipation using fNIRS: a case-control study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Effects of 8-week TRX exercise program on bowel habits and gastrointestinal symptoms in competitive male swimmers aged 9-13: a randomized controlled trial.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- The faecal bulk heterogeneity: implications for homogenisation and spot-sampling strategies for metabolomic investigations.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2026Article
- IUGA Opinion Paper on Obstructed Defecation: Management of Clinical and Proctographic Rectoceles.International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- Dietary Characteristics Associated With High Defecation Frequency and Constipation in Japanese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026Article
- Clinical Collaboration Commentary: Breaking Down the Role of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy in Colorectal Care.Clinics in colon and rectal surgery · 2025Review
- Fecal ingestion rate based on worker activity patterns during stool handling in a ruminant farm.Narra J · 2025Article
- Review
- Optimization of toilet bowl ventilation technology for odor control and energy efficiency enhancement in public toilet.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Pelvic Floor Disorders Due to Anal Sexual Activity in Men and Women: A Narrative Review.Archives of sexual behavior · 2024Review
- Mucus-coated, magnetically-propelled fecal surrogate to mimic fecal shear forces on colonic epithelium.Biomaterials · 2024Article
- Modified Chevrel Technique: A Lifesaver for Surgeons.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- Influence of the examination position and distension medium on the rectal sensory test in patients with functional constipation.BMC gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Sit or Squat? Toilet Type Is a Determinant of Diverticulosis Development.The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Rectal Sensory and Compliance Testing: A Method Comparison Study between High-Resolution Anorectal Manometry and Barostat Investigations.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Lascaux Cave Painting: The Earliest Drawing of Gastrointestinal Anatomy and Physiology?Journal of Korean medical science · 2024Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Human defecation involves integrated and coordinated sensorimotor functions, orchestrated by central, spinal, peripheral (somatic and visceral), and enteric neural activities, acting on a morphologically intact gastrointestinal tract (including the final common path, the pelvic floor, and anal sphincters). The multiple factors that ultimately result in defecation are best appreciated by describing four temporally and physiologically fairly distinct phases. This article details our current understanding of normal defecation, including recent advances, but importantly identifies those areas where knowledge or consensus is still lacking. Appreciation of normal physiology is central to directed treatment of constipation and also of fecal incontinence, which are prevalent in the general population and cause significant morbidity.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.