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Studying the brain-gut axis with pharmacological imaging
Kirsten Tillisch1, Zhuo Wang, Lisa Kilpatrick
1Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6949, USA.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|December 17, 2008
Summary
Pharmacological imaging enhances understanding of brain-gut disorders by combining symptom, behavior, and brain response data. This approach objectively evaluates new treatments and clarifies the neural basis of gastrointestinal symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Brain-gut disorders involve complex interactions between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
- Current understanding often relies on subjective symptom reporting, limiting objective assessment.
- Pharmacological imaging offers a novel approach to investigate these disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current applications of pharmacological imaging in studying brain-gut interactions.
- To highlight the potential of neuroimaging in objectively evaluating treatment efficacy for gastrointestinal disorders.
- To explore the role of neuroimaging in understanding the pathophysiology of brain-gut disorders.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on pharmacological imaging studies.
- Analysis of studies combining symptom evaluation, behavioral assessment, and neuroimaging.
- Inclusion of both human and animal model research on brain-gut interactions.
Main Results:
- Pharmacological imaging allows for objective evaluation of treatment efficacy for candidate compounds.
- Neuroimaging reveals underlying neural networks involved in symptom generation and treatment response.
- Studies in both humans and animal models demonstrate the utility of this approach.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacological imaging is a powerful tool for advancing the study of brain-gut disorders.
- This technique shifts focus from subjective outcomes to objective neural mechanisms.
- Future research can leverage pharmacological imaging to develop more effective treatments for gastrointestinal conditions.
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