The Brain-Gut Team

Abstract

Background: Interactions between brain and gut have been suspected for centuries but our understanding of the neural centers and neurohormonal links that establish bidirectional regulatory communication between these 2 body systems has advanced significantly in the last decades. The label "brain-gut axis" designates a useful but deceivingly simple concept, since the mechanistic complexity of brain-gut interaction is enormous.

Summary: The significance of the brain-gut axis is perhaps best conceived as "a team" since both systems are physiologically coordinated to ensure a healthy status. However, under pathophysiological conditions, the axis also contributes substantially to distort homeostasis. For instance, normal signals emanating from the gut may be inappropriately received and interpreted by the central nervous system that responds by inadequately recruiting other brain structures and generate both symptoms and commands that disturb normal gut activity. Key Messages: Thus, at each end and in the brain-gut connecting routes, there is the potential for altering perceived and unperceived sensations and further impinging on normal function.

Keywords: Brain-gut axis; Enteric nervous system; Functional disorders; Gut autonomic control; Irritable bowel syndrome.