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Stress and the microbiota-gut-brain axis in visceral pain: Relevance to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Moloney et al. (2016) explains that many sufferers of gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience visceral pain (pain originating from the internal organs of the body) as well as comorbid behavioral disorders such as anxiety or depression. While there is not a single factor that can completely explain the disorder involving the intestines, stress is implicated in the development and exacerbation of visceral pain disorders. Chronic stress can change the motility and permeability of the gastrointestinal tract. The recent bidirectional association uncovered between the role of gut microbiota along the gut-brain axis with changes in behavior supports the theory that stress and gut microbiota can interact to influence visceral nociceptive behaviors. The purpose of this review was to look at the evidence by which stress and gut microbiota interact in the regulation of visceral pain. Moloney and her colleagues (2016) also focuses on the influence of stress on the microbiota as well as the mechanisms by which microbiota can affect the stress response and behavioral outcomes (with a particular eye on visceral pain). [NPIDs: gastrointestinal disorders, IBS, gastrointestinal, digestion, anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, visceral pain disorders, chronic stress, gastrointestinal tract, stress, gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, visceral nociceptive behavior, visceral pain]
Year: 2016
