It’s not a surprise that the brain responds to signals in the gut, initiating motor functions involved with digestion. Directed by the brainstem, these types of basic biological actions are largely automatic. New University of Illinois research in rats shows the entire brain responds to the gut, specifically the small intestine, through neuronal connections.
The study represents the first complete map of neuronal connections between the small intestine and the entire brain. The involvement of cognitive and emotional centers hints at how the thinking brain sometimes overrides our feeling of being full, provides fodder to explore relationships between depression and digestive troubles, and more.
— source University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | Apr 2, 2020