New evidence for the gut-brain axis theory: heart signals affect how we think about ourselves

New research has found that the strength of the connection between our brain and internal organs is related to how we feel on the outside

This research, published in the journal Cortex, is the first to investigate and confirm the connection between body image and the brain's processing of internal signals that occur unconsciously

This study was conducted by a team of psychologists and neuroscientists from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

This research may have therapeutic implications for those whose body image plays an important role

Participants in this study were a group of healthy British adults.

Then, the researchers measured the participants' internal signals

The strength of the connection between the intestine and the brain is measured by recording the electrical activity of both areas at the same time

They found that among the participants, a weaker brain response to the gut and heart was significantly associated with a higher degree of physical shame and attention to weight

Senior author Dr.

"We found that when the brain responds weakly to these recessive signals from the body, individuals are more likely to have a negative view of their appearance

The lead author of the study, Dr.

"The gut and heart signal measurement used in our research may be used as a biomarker to help identify or even predict negative body image and related diseases, such as eating disorders

"We need to understand why some brains are better at detecting these internal signals than others
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We expect that part of the reason is the different neuroanatomical connections between the brain and internal organs, which will be the subject of future research
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"

Dr.
Aspell’s research work is to investigate what happens in the brain during the out of orifice.
She will present evidence that these conditions are caused by the abnormal function of the part of the brain that processes and combines signals from our body
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This study of neuropathic patients reveals how a healthy brain produces self-experience and what happens when this structure temporarily "goes wrong"
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DOI

10.
1016/j.
cortex.
2021.
07.
006