New research finds human gut-brain connection

The human gut-brain connection has been a topic of interest in the past few years. In the research titled, Parieto-occipital ERP indicators of gut mechanosensation in humans, the team successfully had participants swallow the vibrating capsule to measure neural responses during gastrointestinal stimulation, providing a novel approach to study this intricate connection. “We were able to localize most of the capsule stimulations to the gastroduodenal segments of the digestive tract using abdominal X-ray imaging,” said Dr. Khalsa, who is also senior author of the study. “This finding is crucial as it provides a more precise understanding of where these gut-brain interactions are originating.” The researchers also discovered the “gastric evoked potential”, a late neural response in certain areas of the brain specifically induced by capsule stimulation. Talking about the potential clinical implications for the results of this study, Dr. Khalsa said, “The vibrating capsule method could transform the clinical approach to disorders of gut-brain interaction, including eating disorders and certain gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia.”