Gut-Brain Insights Presented by GI Psychology
In our first Brain Bites video, Dr. Kim Wesley introduces Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs)—a group of common, yet often misunderstood, GI conditions like IBS and functional abdominal pain. Learn what they are, how they develop, and why recognizing the gut-brain connection is the first step to finding relief.
Hi, I’m Doctor Kim Wesley, a clinical psychologist with GI Psychology. In this series of videos, we will discuss disorders of the gut-brain interaction, or DGBI, as well as treatments that have been proven effective at treating these complicated conditions. Gastrointestinal conditions that do not have an identifiable structural cause are classified as DGBI. In these conditions, the brain and the gut are experiencing communication difficulties that manifest as worsened physical symptoms. This includes conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain, and cyclic vomiting syndrome, among others.
Did you know that four out of 10 adults will experience a DGBI at some point during their lifetime, and about 25% of children will experience a DGBI? This means if you walk into a school classroom, one out of every four children will experience a DGBI before their 18th birthday. These conditions are remarkably common. DGBI seem to occur more frequently in individuals with an anxiety disorder, a history of an eating disorder, a history of trauma, or who have an autism spectrum diagnosis.
Over the last few decades, researchers and clinicians have been working to develop a better understanding of these complicated conditions, as well as to develop effective treatments, which we will explore in our future videos.