Exploring the Brain-Gut Connection in Children
A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 894
Special Issue Editors
Interests: esophageal diseases; functional bowel disorder; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); interventional endoscopy; pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition
Interests: neurogastroenterology; motility and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs)
Interests: pediatric gastroenterology; functional bowel disorders; digestive disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There is growing awareness of the bi-directional relationship between mental health and gastrointestinal symptoms in children. There is a complex interaction between the enteric nervous system, the microbiome, and the central nervous system which is influenced by extrinsic environmental factors. This can manifest as gastrointestinal symptoms in children with psychosocial stressors and, conversely, present as mental health disorders in children with gastrointestinal disease. It can explain why children with anxiety and depression experience disorders of visceral hypersensitivity, and why many children with gastrointestinal disease develop depression, anxiety, fatigue, and decreased quality of life. This interplay, however, can be advantageous when harnessed for treatment. We know that many cognitive strategies including cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, mindfulness, and restorative sleep practices, and medications to address serotonin imbalance can also be successfully used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms. Neuromodulation and acupuncture, in addition, affect the autonomic nervous system to restore the brain–gut imbalance.
This Special Issue’s focus is on all aspects of the mind–gut connection and how we can integrate that connection into our understanding and treatment approaches for pediatric gastroenterology patients.
Dr. Alexandra C. Russell
Dr. Neha R. Santucci
Dr. Miguel Saps
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mind-body connection
- microbiome
- functional gastrointestinal disorders
- mind-body integration
