Researchers at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research have made significant advances in understanding the gut-brain connection using a new vibrating capsule for gastrointestinal stimulation. This study, published in Nature Communications, reveals neural responses linked to gut stimulation and suggests new possibilities for treating gut-brain disorders. The researchers had participants swallow a minimally invasive vibrating capsule, developed by Vibrant Ltd., to measure neural responses during stimulation. The findings indicated that participants could sense the stimulation under different conditions, with enhanced stimulation improving perceptual accuracy and reducing reaction time variability.
A notable discovery was the “gastric evoked potential,” a neural response in the brain correlated with stimulation intensity, providing insights into the neural mechanisms of the gut-brain relationship. According to Dr. Sahib Khalsa, the study’s senior author, this research could revolutionize clinical approaches to gut-brain disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and eating disorders by offering a tool to assess gut sensation, potentially leading to personalized treatments. The study, which involved healthy volunteers aged 18-40, was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and commenced in 2019, concluding in early 2022.
