The July 13th issue of the Journal of Neuroscience published research that found that when the brain is injured there is a backlash that happens in the stomach which can cause even further brain damage. Studies in mice showed that the gut’s microbe population is altered after an injury like a stroke. Another way of putting it is the stomach suffers a temporary paralysis for a period which in turn can cause further inflammation of the brain tissue so there is sort of a vicious biological circle that must be overcome in the wake of brain trauma. Ted Dinan of the Microbiome Institute at the University College Cork in Ireland said the study asks more questions than it answers but that is the nature of good research. It could mean that patients suffering from a stroke may also have to have their stomach flora altered or monitored to prevent further injury.