David Levinthal, M.D.

Study Could Explain How Stress Encourages Stomach Ulcers

Neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute have traced neural pathways that connect the brain to the stomach, providing a biological mechanism to explain how stress can foster ulcer development.The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, build a scientific basis for the brain’s influence over organ function and emphasize the importance of the brain-body connection. Until now, research exploring the gut-brain interaction has largely focused on the influence of the gut and its microbiome on the brain. But it’s not a one-way street — the brain also influences stomach function.

Article: Multiple areas of the cerebral cortex influence

the stomach

The connection between our thoughts and feelings and our gut

Dr. Levinthal details his testing process

The 2 branches of our nervous system that control the organs

The body reacts to re-living a stressor as a memory the same way it reacts to the original stressor