How does our brain process sensations from within the body, particularly unpleasant signals and pain from the gastrointestinal system? And what influence do “gut feelings” have on our thoughts, emotions, and behavior? Prof. Sigrid Elsenbruch at Ruhr University Bochum is exploring these and more questions.
University Professor Dr. Sigrid Elsenbruch, Professor of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology at Ruhr University Bochum, member of the Faculty of Medicine at Essen University Hospital, and project leader in the Collaborative Research Center “Treatment Expectation” (CRC/TRR 289)
I am fascinated by the connections between the body and the mind, which is why I always view physiological processes in relation to psychological phenomena.
University Professor Dr. Sigrid Elsenbruch, Professor of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology at Ruhr University Bochum, member of the Faculty of Medicine at Essen University Hospital, and project leader in the Collaborative Research Center “Treatment Expectation” (CRC/TRR 289)
As an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist specializing in “interoception and visceral pain”, I focus on the psychological factors and underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the gut-brain axis. I am particularly interested in acute and chronic visceral pain, such as that associated with endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis.
The fundamental questions here are: How does our brain process information from within the body, for example, from the gastrointestinal system? What makes interoceptive pain modulation through emotions and cognition so clinically significant? What role do stress and cognitive-affective processes play in symptom perception and chronicity on the one hand, and in treatment success on the other?
As a subproject leader in the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1280 “Extinction Learning” and the transregional Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR) 289 “Treatment Expectation”, I conduct translational research on the role of stress and expectations, as well as on emotional learning and memory processes.
Gaining a better understanding of the psychological and social causes of illness
In addition to this research, I am also the director of the university outpatient clinic for psychotherapy with a focus on pain. Through this clinic, I aim to offer patients treatment options, rather than conducting purely experimental work. The goal is to better understand the neurobiological and psychological aspects of these complex biopsychosocial disorders in order to improve existing psychological therapy options, particularly through behavioral therapy approaches and concepts derived from placebo and nocebo research.
In addition, I head the counseling center for medical students. And that means I’m also deeply involved in the organizational aspects of the faculty of medicine beyond my teaching duties and am committed to support structural improvements within the university context. I serve on many committees, and I admit that this work often doesn’t bring much recognition – sometimes quite the opposite – but for me, alongside research, teaching, and administration, it’s a labor of love. It’s also about keeping an eye on aspects of diversity in our academic world and, for example, continuing to improve conditions for women in science.
A person's health also depends on their income, level of education, and cultural influences.
As a Professor for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, I aim to help students understand the significant impact of social and societal factors on illness and health. This includes access to the healthcare system, issues related to income and education, and cultural influences on health behaviors.
The disparity in the distribution of the burden of disease for many conditions in our society is steadily increasing, and this trend is not only driven by biological factors but also by psychosocial factors.
Prof. Sigrid Elsenbruch: How do so-called “gut feelings” influence our thoughts, emotions, and behavior?
How does the human brain process sensations from within the body, particularly aversive signals from the gastrointestinal system? And how can so-called “gut feelings” influence our thoughts, emotions, and behavior? These fascinating questions are at the heart of my research.
The gut-brain axis plays a major role in many diseases
We know that the gut-brain axis closely connects our brain with the digestive tract. These bidirectional connections play a particularly important role in the context of chronic abdominal pain and in the development of affective disorders.
However, our understanding of normal and altered perception from within the body (interoception) and its neural representation in the brain remains incomplete. From a neuroscientific perspective, this raises fascinating questions at the intersection of basic research and clinical practice, aimed at better understanding the complex interactions between the brain and the body’s periphery.
Extensive collaborations for experimental studies
We conduct experiments with participants (behavioral experiments, functional magnetic resonance imaging, patient studies) in which we investigate how stress, expectations, and learning processes influence the perception and evaluation of visceral and somatic pain.
We are particularly interested in the role of inflammatory processes and stress hormones in acute and chronic pain. To this end, we collaborate closely with various departments at Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and other German and international universities.
“The topic of irritable bowel syndrome was a perfect fit for me”
How I, as a psychologist, came to this field of research:
Where did this interest come from? I do not know. It was just there. I have a background in the natural sciences, but I’ve always been interested in people, their experiences, and their behavior. When I was in college, 80 to 90 percent of all psychology students wanted to become psychotherapists. But I wanted to understand exactly what was going on – and neither become a doctor nor a psychotherapist.
That is why I chose the interdisciplinary psychology program in Düsseldorf and became increasingly interested in the intersections between these fields. There was a similar program at the university in Oklahoma, so I worked there as an exchange student in a laboratory situated in a hospital and met a professor who was interested in sleep, irritable bowel syndrome, and motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
The topic of irritable bowel syndrome was a perfect fit for me. It is a condition in which physical and psychological factors play a major role and influence each other. That was exactly what my dissertation was about.
Back then, I was already measuring cortisol levels as a stress response in patients and also recording the reactions of the autonomic nervous system. This combination of psychological and biological measures was my preferred research approach at the time and has remained so to this day, supplemented, of course, by a broader range of measurement variables.
Brain imaging methods that we take for granted today were not yet widely available for research at the time I was working on my dissertation at the end of the last century. Irritable bowel syndrome is a model condition, which is how I came to join Prof. Manfred Schedlowski at the Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology at Essen University Hospital, where I was also able to begin my work in brain imaging. There, I was able to pursue my interests – for nearly 20 years. And with a Heisenberg Professorship, I was able to conduct independent research. That’s how everything fell into place for me.
Why placebo research is so fascinating to me:
Expectation effects, contextual factors, stress, and negative expectations are key to understanding why chronic abdominal pain is so difficult to treat. It takes a long time to reach a diagnosis, and some patients report negative treatment experiences spanning over ten years. This alters – usually unconsciously – their expectations, but it’s possible to change learning processes and break the vicious cycle. That’s why this field is so exciting, and there is still so much for us to do. Another point that stands out to me: This research always brings together people with diverse areas of expertise, which is very enriching. I’ve been part of Prof. Ulrike Bingel’s research group for a long time, and given my interest in stress and irritable bowel syndrome, it was only natural for me to get involved in research on expectations.
What brings me joy in life:
Hiking, nature, mountains. I’d say that experiencing nature is a great joy for me. By the way, it is not the desire to achieve that drives me. It certainly does not have to be the highest mountain to conquer, but a beautiful hike in the Pyrenees, for example, with a nice group or with my family, is simply wonderful. I also try to run regularly to stay in shape. My second passion is my choir – Schumann, Mendelssohn, nothing modern. And then I have two children. I never get bored.
What inspires me every day in my work:
I enjoy interacting with all kinds of people and exchanging ideas with different minds. It is always enriching. For me, it is really always about the people – both my colleagues and my patients. But sometimes, as a researcher, I also find myself sitting alone at my desk writing papers. Even then, I try to collaborate with colleagues as often as possible. It’s simply more fun that way and helps us all make progress. Honestly, I could take things a little easier, but I haven’t quite managed to do that yet.