The Brain-Gut Connection: MIT Researchers Unravel the Mystery.
MIT engineers have developed a new technology that can control neural circuits connecting the gut and the brain in mice. The technology uses fibers embedded with a variety of sensors and light sources for optogenetic stimulation. The researchers have shown that they can induce feelings of fullness or reward-seeking behavior in mice by manipulating cells of the intestine. The technology can be used to study neurological conditions that are believed to have a gut-brain connection, such as autism and Parkinson’s disease.