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Non-invasive assessment and modulation of brain-gut interoception in humans

Award Number: R21AT011918
ORGANIZATION: CENTER FOR DRUG EVALUATION AND RESEARCH, NIH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2026

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Non-invasive assessment and modulation of brain-gut interoception in humans - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Interoception refers to the representation of the internal states of an organism, and includes the processes by which it senses, interprets, integrates, and regulates signals from within itself. Interoception is increasingly viewed as a bidirectional process between the brain and body, in which multiple feedback and feedforward loops lead to an internal representation of the body. The vagus nerve is intimately involved in autonomic control of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with afferent projections to medullary brainstem nuclei. In turn, interoceptive pathways can also be directly targeted for clinically beneficial neuromodulation and non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques that interact with brainstem vagal circuitry, including transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS), have been reported to modulate efferent visceral vagal pathways via the engagement of nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). However, broader understanding of taVNS effects on gastric function and brain response to gastric interoceptive signaling is needed, and requires tools to directly probe the gut-brain axis in humans. In our study, we will combine a fully non-invasive experimental framework including sequential gastric and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with calibrated meal ingestion and MRI- compatible taVNS to evaluate the modulation of visceral interoception along the brain-gut axis. Aim 1 will evaluate gastric function and brain response to gastric interoceptive signaling following calibrated meal ingestion. In Aim 2, we will then investigate taVNS modulation of gastric function and brain response to gastric interoceptive signaling. The proposed study will contribute new insights into the bidirectional gut-brain interaction underlying gastric interoception, and its modulation via non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques that specifically target interoceptive pathways (i.e. taVNS).


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2024	THE SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL CORPORATION	300 1ST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health	000	2	7/9/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $210,914 )
2024	2024	THE SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL CORPORATION	300 1ST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health	000	2	3/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$193,696
2024	2024	THE SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL CORPORATION	300 1ST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health	001	2	8/2/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$17,218
														Subtotal = $210,914

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $272,748 )
2023	2023	SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL CORPORATION, THE	300 FIRST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health	000	1	3/27/2023	NEW	$272,748
														Subtotal = $272,748

Grand Total All Awards = $483,662

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Non-invasive assessment and modulation of brain-gut interoception in humans

Award Number: R21AT011918

ORGANIZATION: CENTER FOR DRUG EVALUATION AND RESEARCH, NIH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2026

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