Central Neural Circuits Underlying Stress-Associated Bowel Disorders

Psychological stress can cause or exacerbate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). According to the Rome V framework, functional gastrointestinal disorders, including IBS, are classified as gut–brain interaction disorders. These disorders involve information processing by the central nervous system. Therefore, to understand IBS pathophysiology, it is necessary to focus on the central neural circuits regulating visceral sensation and colorectal motility. In this review, we first outline the autonomic outflow that controls the colorectum and then focus on descending neural pathways that modulate spinal visceral sensory processing and colorectal autonomic outflow, as well as the hypothalamic, midbrain, limbic, and cortical regions that regulate these processes. Finally, we outline their effects within the context of stress.