“All diseases originate in the gut” – Hippocrates 400 BC.
Background
A growing body of literature supports the hypothesis of the presence of a close bidirectional link between the functioning of the brain and the gut, now referred to as the “gut-brain axis.” (gut-brain axis).
In addition, research recognizes how any dysregulation of this axis may be associated with pathological conditions such as, for example, eating and nutrition disorders.
Aim of the School:
The School, “GUT BRAIN-AXIS:” is dedicated to the understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the cross-talk between gut and brain, analyzing the role of the gut microbiome in influencing the physiology and the development and progression of eating and nutrition disorders.
The talks by international speakers will provide a broad and multidisciplinary overview with respect to different declinations of the complex gut-brain interplay.
General Description
The School will start with an introduction to the key concepts of epidemiology and etiopathogenesis of eating and nutrition disorders by analyzing nutritional and psychological risk factors, and psychiatric and clinical-nutritional comorbidities.
The school will subsequently focus on describing the human gut microbiome and its role in physiology and pathological conditions; approaches to the study of the human microbiome will also be introduced. In parallel, additional talks will explore this interaction from a neuropsychological perspective, with a particular focus on how brain activity affects and is affected by visceral nerve signal processing (i.e., interoception).
Overall, the talks by the different speakers will explore the complex interplay of the gut-brain axis through a dual and parallel path of scientific disclosure, alternating between nutritional and neuropsychological perspectives, and how the two approaches converge in the scientific investigation of a single, interconnected phenomenon.
The School will provide learners with tools for research (indicators for data interpretation, innovative perspectives concerning new investigation methodologies), moments of discussion and debate on clinical conditions originating by gut-brain axis dysfunction, with specific reference to different eating and nutrition disorders, transferring and integrating the results of the literature and scientific research into clinical practice in an interdisciplinary approach.