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Updated: Aug 17, 2025

Real-time Analysis of Gut-brain Neural Communication: Cortex wide Calcium Dynamics in Response to Intestinal Glucose Stimulation
Published on: December 29, 2023
Simultaneous Gut-Brain Electrophysiology Shows Cognition and Satiety Specific Coupling
Pragathi Priyadharsini Balasubramani1, Anuja Walke2, Gillian Grennan1
1Neural Engineering and Translation Labs (NEATLabs), Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.
Abstract:
Recent studies, using high resolution magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electrogastrography (EGG), have shown that during resting state, rhythmic gastric physiological signals are linked with cortical brain oscillations. Yet, gut-brain coupling has not been investigated with electroencephalography (EEG) during cognitive brain engagement or during hunger-related gut engagement. In this study in 14 young adults (7 females, mean ± SD age 25.71 ± 8.32 years), we study gut-brain coupling using simultaneous EEG and EGG during hunger and satiety states measured in separate visits, and compare responses both while resting as well as during a cognitively demanding working memory task. We find that EGG-EEG phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) differs based on both satiety state and cognitive effort, with greater PAC modulation observed in the resting state relative to working memory. We find a significant interaction between gut satiation levels and cognitive states in the left fronto-central brain region, with larger cognitive demand based differences in the hunger state. Furthermore, strength of PAC correlated with behavioral performance during the working memory task. Altogether, these results highlight the role of gut-brain interactions in cognition and demonstrate the feasibility of these recordings using scalable sensors.
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