Accessing the viscera: Technologies for interoception research

Interoception, or the perception and regulation of body signals by the central nervous system, is critical for maintaining homeostasis and coordination of behaviors. Deciphering the mechanisms of interoception requires identifying pathways and decoding of diverse signals across the brain-body axis. These studies are enabled by tools to modulate and record physiological processes in the brain and visceral organs. While numerous advanced neurotechnologies are well-established in the brain, these techniques often offer limited utility for other organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, heart, liver, or bladder. In this review, we highlight recent advances in technologies for recording and modulation of visceral organ physiology in small animals in vivo, with a focus on implantable bioelectronic organ interfaces that can be deployed in behaving animals. We discuss how such interfaces are made possible through innovations in materials and electronics and outline unmet technological challenges in interoception research.