Gut-Brain Insights Presented by GI Psychology
Dr. Ellen Joseph explains how the brain and gut communicate—and what happens when they don’t.
Hi, I’m Dr. Ellen Joseph, a clinical psychologist with GI Psychology. In this video, we will discuss the gut-brain connection. Did you know that our brains and our bodies are in constant communication with each other? They communicate through our central nervous system, which includes the brain and the spinal cord, and our enteric nervous system, which includes the gut. These signals are often helpful. Such as the brain telling the body that it is time to eat, and then the stomach begins to secrete digestive juices.
However, miscommunication can develop, typically in response to triggering events such as stress or infection. The brain then becomes more reactive to normal signals in the body, which can result in increased physical symptoms such as pain. This is called visceral hypersensitivity. Hypervigilance can also develop. In which our brain is constantly scanning for gut related issues. This results in a vicious cycle of worry and physical symptoms, which can lead to the development of a DGBI or a disorder of the gut-brain interaction. There’s a growing body of evidence to support the use of psychological treatments for DGBIs, which we will explore next.