The Brain-Gut Axis and Stress in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The brain-gut axis serves as a circuit that incorporates the human experience, the state of mind, the gut microbiome, and the immune response that ultimately drives the phenotypic expression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are several biological pathways through which stress can play a deleterious role, including through increasing intestinal permeability, which can facilitate intestinal translocation of bacteria. Stress has an impact on symptoms in IBD; however, there is limited evidence that stress triggers increased intestinal inflammation. Although attention to stress and psychiatric comorbidity is important in the management of IBD, there are few clinical trials to direct management.