Gut-Brain Connection

Coping with the physical symptoms of a GI disease can be very challenging emotionally and conversely, your state of mind can also affect your physical symptoms.

Research is showing that these GI diseases impact people psychologically even when the disease is not active. In fact, people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have a higher risk of developing psychological problems, such as depression, than the general population. To study these phenomena, IMAGINE studies will examine the link between depression and changes in the bacterial composition of the gut. This important research will determine how the mind and the body work together to jointly affect a person’s health.