functional magnetic resonance imaging in functional gastrointestinal disorders

aim and background: it has since long been known that there is strong relation between   psychological status and functional gastrointestinal disorders (fgid). however, until recently, the nature of this putative relationship was unclear due to a lack of non-invasive methods to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this relationship.  functional brain imaging has provided a method for in vivo study of brain-gut interactions. method and material: in this article, a review of brain imaging evidence on gastrointestinal sensation by functional magnetic resonance imaging fmri has been given. findings: fmri studies pointed to altered function in insular cortex, anterior and posterior cingulated cortex, amygdala, ventromedial cortex of prefrontal lobe, cerebellum, and thalamus. conclusion: activation or inhibition of specific brain regions may affect modulation of stress- gut interactions, perception of severity of visceral pain, induce homeostasis, and different pain perception between females and males. key words: functional gastrointestinal disorders, functional magnetic resonance imaging, brain.