The gut—brain axis in IBD: an investigator’s perspective

The gut—brain axis is a neurohumoral bidirectional communication network that integrates behavior and intestinal function. Brain-to-gut communication is evident in many demonstrations of central nervous system (CNS) control of intestinal physiology, including motility and acid secretion. This may be relevant to the pathogenesis of functional bowel disease and stress-induced peptic ulceration. Gut-to-brain communication is reflected in studies on feeding behavior which have identified satiety signals originating from the upper and lower gut to influence appetitive behavior. With growing acceptance of neuroimmune interactions it is possible to extrapolate our knowledge of brain—gut interactions to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).