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They communicate with the brain through the bloodstream and the vagus nerve, which runs through the throat and vocal cords and connects the gut and brain.

In some people who develop a chronic gut infection from the virus, the pathogen may travel to the brain via the vagus nerve which connects the gut and brain.

Published in Science Translational Medicine, the study showed that vagus nerve stimulation in stressed mice with colitis, a form of IBD, reduced inflammation, improved symptoms, and boosted survival rates.

Previous vagus nerve stimulation research in humans suggests the findings go beyond mice.

Existing devices are effective, but lack the necessary precision needed for some applications, such as cochlear implants or vagus nerve stimulators.