Gastrointestinal dysfunction after brain injury: Mechanisms and the role of the brain-gut axis

doi:10.3748/wjg.v32.i10.115731

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Mar 14, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 2, 2026

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World Journal of Gastroenterology

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1007-9327

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Gastroenterol. Mar 14, 2026; 32(10): 115731
Published online Mar 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i10.115731

Gastrointestinal dysfunction after brain injury: Mechanisms and the role of the brain-gut axis

Xia Zhao, Wei Zhang, Ying Zhang, Xing-An Liu

Xia Zhao, Wei Zhang, Department Five of Brain Disease Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China

Ying Zhang, Department of Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China

Xing-An Liu, Department Three of Brain Disease Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China

Author contributions: Zhao X contributed to the conceptualization, data curation, methodology, and writing - original draft; Zhang W and Zhang Y participated in the formal analysis, project administration, software, and visualization; Liu XA contributed to the investigation, supervision, validation, and writing - review & editing.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Corresponding author: Xing-An Liu, Department Three of Brain Disease Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 33 Beiling Street, Huaigu District, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China. liuxing_an@126.com

Received: October 23, 2025
Revised: November 18, 2025
Accepted: January 12, 2026
Published online: March 14, 2026
Processing time: 130 Days and 2.9 Hours

Core Tip

Core Tip: Brain injury, including traumatic injury and stroke, frequently leads to gastrointestinal dysfunction, manifesting as dysmotility, increased permeability, and dysbiosis. This dysfunction impairs nutrition, increases infection risk, and exacerbates secondary brain damage via systemic inflammation. The brain-gut axis is central to this bidirectional interaction. Investigating interventions like probiotics and vagus nerve stimulation, which modulate this axis, offers promising therapeutic strategies for improving brain injury patient outcomes.