The role of Gut Instinct and the Gut Microbiome (GM) in Psychotherapy ( Page 3 )
Potential role of psychobiotics in Rx
- Brain Gut axis disorders with cognitive component e.g. irritable bowel syndrome or IBS
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Parkinson’s disease
Latest research: transferring the blues
Prof Dinan and colleagues investigated:
- Gut microbiome in depressed patients
- Short chain fatty acids
- Gut permeability as mechanism acting on brain function
- Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from depressed patients to rat model with depleted microbiome to look for depressive-like phenotype
Findings
- FMT to GM naive rats induced the depressive phenotype
- Immune system became activated
- GIT function was altered
- Depressed group had increased ACE before 17 and in 3 years prior to enrolment
- Depression characterized by alterations in gut microbiome and GM may play a causal role
Ways to target the gut microbiome
- Latest research in Gut mesentery from Prof Calvin Coffey University of Limerick
- Contiguous structure
- Techniques outlined in The Art of BART are backed up by new area of mesenteric science
- Gut feelings are activated using buzzers while tuning into bilateral cerebellar stimulation
Nature of mesentery as a body organ
Gutbrain to brainstem connection
Autonomic Nervous System
Role of touch
- Develops at 8 weeks gestation
- Deprivation increases incidence of:
- obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disease
- anxiety
- depression
- psychosis
- poor impulse control
Examples of touch linked to survival
- Video developed by WHO to encourage development of breastfeeding and bonding
- Kangaroo care in neonatal units for premature infants
- Student nurse who initiated the twin rescue hug by following her own ‘Gut Instinct’
- In Pre-eclampsia baby initiates its own birth as an instinctive survival reflex
Relationship between touch and intelligence
- Aristotle viewed humans as superior to all other species in relation to touch
- “and this is why he is the most intelligent of all animals”
- Tact relates to touch (tactile from tangere to touch)
- Thick skinned like a rhinoceroses
“……..those with tender skin are well equipped for thinking.”