Gut-brain axis

The gut-brain axis is the two-way communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system through neural, hormonal, immune, and microbial signals.

Vagus nerve: The tenth cranial nerve carries sensory information from organs and provides parasympathetic control to many internal organs. It conveys gut-derived sensory signals to the brain and carries brain signals back to digestive organs.
Central nervous system: The brain and spinal cord, which integrate information and coordinate nervous-system activity. It is the central neural partner in the gut-brain communication network.
Irritable bowel syndrome: A disorder involving recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits without a structural explanation sufficient to account for symptoms. Altered gut sensitivity and brain processing are central to many accounts of its symptoms.
Stress: A physiological and psychological response to demands or threats that challenge an organism's capacity to adapt. Stress can change motility, secretion, and gut sensitivity through brain-to-gut signaling.
Enteric nervous system: The network of neurons embedded in the gastrointestinal tract that coordinates digestion and local reflexes. It regulates gut activity while exchanging signals with the central nervous system.
Gastrointestinal tract: The continuous digestive tube from mouth to anus, where food is processed and nutrients are absorbed. It supplies the organs, tissues, and microbes that send signals toward the brain.
Functional dyspepsia: A disorder characterized by persistent upper abdominal discomfort or early fullness without an explanatory structural disease. Its symptoms can involve altered gut signaling and central processing of sensation.
Interoception: The perception and interpretation of signals arising from within the body. Gut sensations contribute to internal bodily signals processed by the brain.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: A neuroendocrine system that coordinates hormonal responses to stress through the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. Stress hormones alter gut function, while gut signals can influence stress responses.
Neurotransmitter: A chemical messenger released by neurons to transmit signals across synapses or to other target cells. Neural communication within the axis depends on chemical messengers such as serotonin and GABA.

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