1
|
Boem F, Greslehner GP, Konsman JP, Chiu L. Minding the gut: extending embodied cognition and perception to the gut complex. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1172783. [PMID: 38260022 PMCID: PMC10800657 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1172783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Scientific and philosophical accounts of cognition and perception have traditionally focused on the brain and external sense organs. The extended view of embodied cognition suggests including other parts of the body in these processes. However, one organ has often been overlooked: the gut. Frequently conceptualized as merely a tube for digesting food, there is much more to the gut than meets the eye. Having its own enteric nervous system, sometimes referred to as the "second brain," the gut is also an immune organ and has a large surface area interacting with gut microbiota. The gut has been shown to play an important role in many physiological processes, and may arguably do so as well in perception and cognition. We argue that proposals of embodied perception and cognition should take into account the role of the "gut complex," which considers the enteric nervous, endocrine, immune, and microbiota systems as well as gut tissue and mucosal structures. The gut complex is an interface between bodily tissues and the "internalized external environment" of the gut lumen, involved in many aspects of organismic activity beyond food intake. We thus extend current embodiment theories and suggest a more inclusive account of how to "mind the gut" in studying cognitive processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Boem
- Section Philosophy, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Pieter Konsman
- IMMUNOlogy from CONcepts and ExPeriments to Translation, CNRS UMR, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lynn Chiu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Glendinning JI. What Does the Taste System Tell Us About the Nutritional Composition and Toxicity of Foods? Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 275:321-351. [PMID: 33782771 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
One of the distinctive features of the human taste system is that it categorizes food into a few taste qualities - e.g., sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Here, I examined the functional significance of these taste qualities by asking what they tell us about the nutritional composition and toxicity of foods. I collected published data on the composition of raw and unprocessed foods - i.e., fruits, endosperm tissues, starchy foods, mushrooms, and meats. Sweet taste is thought to help identify foods with a high caloric or micronutrient density. However, the sweetest foods (fruits) had a relatively modest caloric density and low micronutrient density, whereas the blandest foods (endosperm tissues and meats) had a relatively high caloric and high micronutrient density. Salty taste is thought to be a proxy for foods high in sodium. Sodium levels were higher in meats than in most plant materials, but raw meats lack a salient salty taste. Sour taste (a measure of acidity) is thought to signify dangerous or spoiled foods. While this may be the case, it is notable that most ripe fruits are acidic. Umami taste is thought to reflect the protein content of food. I found that free L-glutamate (the prototypical umami tastant) concentration varies independently of protein content in foods. Bitter taste is thought to help identify poisonous foods, but many nutritious plant materials taste bitter. Fat taste is thought to help identify triglyceride-rich foods, but the role of taste versus mouthfeel in the attraction to fatty foods is unresolved. These findings indicate that the taste system provides incomplete or, in some cases, misleading information about the nutritional content and toxicity of foods. This may explain why inputs from the taste system are merged with inputs from the other cephalic senses and intestinal nutrient-sensing systems. By doing so, we create a more complete sensory representation and nutritional evaluation of foods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John I Glendinning
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ruiz-Gayo M, Olmo ND. Interaction Between Circadian Rhythms, Energy Metabolism, and Cognitive Function. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:2416-2425. [PMID: 32156228 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200310145006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between meal timing and light regulates circadian rhythms in mammals and not only determines the sleep-wake pattern but also the activity of the endocrine system. Related with that, the necessity to fulfill energy needs is a driving force that requires the participation of cognitive skills whose performance has been shown to undergo circadian variations. These facts have led to the concept that cognition and feeding behaviour can be analysed from a chronobiological perspective. In this context, research carried out during the last two decades has evidenced the link between feeding behaviour/nutritional habits and cognitive processes, and has highlighted the impact of circadian disorders on cognitive decline. All that has allowed hypothesizing a tight relationship between nutritional factors, chronobiology, and cognition. In this connection, experimental diets containing elevated amounts of fat and sugar (high-fat diets; HFDs) have been shown to alter in rodents the circadian distribution of meals, and to have a negative impact on cognition and motivational aspects of behaviour that disappear when animals are forced to adhere to a standard temporal eating pattern. In this review, we will present relevant studies focussing on the effect of HFDs on cognitive aspects of behaviour, paying particular attention to the influence that chronobiological alterations caused by these diets may have on hippocampaldependent cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Ruiz-Gayo
- Department of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria D Olmo
- Department of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Arteaga-Henríquez G, Rosales-Ortiz SK, Arias-Vásquez A, Bitter I, Ginsberg Y, Ibañez-Jimenez P, Kilencz T, Lavebratt C, Matura S, Reif A, Rethelyi J, Richarte V, Rommelse N, Siegl A, Ramos-Quiroga JA. Treating impulsivity with probiotics in adults (PROBIA): study protocol of a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:161. [PMID: 32046750 PMCID: PMC7014653 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-019-4040-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impulsivity and compulsivity are related to emotional and social maladjustment and often underlie psychiatric disorders. Recently, alterations in microbiota composition have been shown to have implications for brain development and social behavior via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, the exact mechanisms are not fully identified. Recent evidence suggests the modulatory effect of synbiotics on gut microbiota and the contribution of these agents in ameliorating symptoms of many psychiatric diseases. To date, no randomized controlled trial has been performed to establish the feasibility and efficacy of this intervention targeting the reduction of impulsivity and compulsivity. We hypothesize that supplementation with synbiotics may be an effective treatment in adults with high levels of impulsivity and/or compulsivity. METHODS/DESIGN This is a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial with two arms: treatment with a synbiotic formula versus placebo treatment. The primary outcome is the response rate at the end of the placebo-controlled phase (response defined as a Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale score of 1 or 2 = very much improved or much improved, plus a reduction in the Affective Reactivity Index total score of at least 30% compared with baseline). A total of 180 participants with highly impulsive behavior and a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or borderline personality disorder, aged 18-65 years old, will be screened at three study centers. Secondary outcome measures, including changes in general psychopathology, ADHD symptoms, neurocognitive function, somatic parameters, physical activity, nutritional intake, and health-related quality of life, will be explored at assessments before, during, and at the end of the intervention. The effect of the intervention on genetics, microbiota, and several blood biomarkers will also be assessed. Gastrointestinal symptoms and somatic complaints will additionally be explored at 1-week follow-up. DISCUSSION This is the first randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of supplementation with synbiotics on reducing impulsive and compulsive behavior. This clinical trial can contribute to explaining the mechanisms involved in the crosstalk between the intestinal microbiome and the brain. If effects can be established by reducing impulsive and compulsive behavior, new cost-effective treatments might become available to these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03495375. Registered on 26 February 2018.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gara Arteaga-Henríquez
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Arias-Vásquez
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Istvan Bitter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ylva Ginsberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pol Ibañez-Jimenez
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Tünde Kilencz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silke Matura
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Janos Rethelyi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vanesa Richarte
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Nanda Rommelse
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Siegl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - J Antoni Ramos-Quiroga
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sun X, Luquet S, Small DM. DRD2: Bridging the Genome and Ingestive Behavior. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:372-384. [PMID: 28372879 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent work highlights the importance of genetic variants that influence brain structure and function in conferring risk for polygenic obesity. The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) has a pivotal role in energy balance by integrating metabolic signals with circuits supporting cognitive, perceptual, and appetitive functions that guide feeding. It has also been established that diet and obesity alter DA signaling, leading to compulsive-like feeding and neurocognitive impairments. This raises the possibility that genetic variants that influence DA signaling and adaptation confer risk for overeating and cognitive decline. Here, we consider the role of two common gene variants, FTO and TaqIA rs1800497 in driving gene × environment interactions promoting obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and cognitive change via their influence on DA receptor subtype 2 (DRD2) signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Sun
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Serge Luquet
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, BFA CNRS UMR 8251, Paris, France; Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dana M Small
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, CT, USA; The John B. Pierce Laboratory, 290 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|