New study traces network of nerves that disrupt digestion, pointing to potential IBS treatment

When stress affects the gut, the stomach tightens, digestion slows. For some, these symptoms resolve quickly. For others—particularly people with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) and related conditions—they don't. In a new study, investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) show how stress hormones directly interfere with gut function, slowing digestion through a newly defined pathway. In preclinical models, the findings point toward a potential way to treat stress-associated constipation.