🩺𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐬𝐚?

Relapse remains a major challenge in anorexia nervosa (AN) - even after apparent recovery – and clinicians still lack objective markers to monitor recovery and predict relapse.

In this work, we explored whether gastrointestinal interoception - the brain’s ability to sense gut signals - could uncover latent vulnerabilities. Using an ingestible vibrating capsule, we combined behavioral measures, electroencephalography, and physiological recordings to probe how individuals with AN detect gut sensations, with a 6-month follow-up after discharge.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:

⚡ Individuals with AN showed reduced detection of gut signals despite preserved neural and physiological responses

✅ Gastric stimulation via the ingestible capsule elicited larger increases in hunger in AN

✅ Altered gut perception patterns predicted relapse risk and symptom severity at 6 months post-discharge

These findings identify gastrointestinal #interoception as a potential prognostic biomarker in AN and point to brain-body interactions as a key target for future precision #psychiatry.

🔗 Link to the article (open access): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2850389

Thank you Sahib Khalsa for bringing me into this exciting work, and many thanks to the entire team for their contributions. My involvement was supported by the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, the Fédération pour la Recherche sur le Cerveau - Unafam and the Union des Blessés de la Face et de la Tête / Fondation des Gueules Cassées 🙏