Briefs
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 3, 2002 9:00 p.m.
New center to study stress and diseases in
women
UCLA was awarded $3.75 million by the National Institute of
Health to create a new national research center, the Center for
Neurovisceral Sciences and Women’s Health.
The first of its kind, the center will study the correlations
that may link stress and emotions with disorders that primarily
affect women, including irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial
cystitis.
Irritable bowel syndrome, which causes discomfort in the
abdomen, along with diarrhea and constipation, affects 15 to 20
percent of American women.
Of the 700,000 Americans affected by interstitial cystitis, 90
percent are women.
Reasons why women are at greater risks of developing these
diseases as yet remain unknown.
CNS will bring together researchers from multiple disciplines
including teams from the UCLA departments of medicine, psychology
and neurology to explore how gender and sex affect the occurrence
of these diseases.
Briefs compiled from UCLA wire reports and Daily Bruin
staff.
