Navigation
A systematic review of gut microbiota composition in observational studies of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
This 2022 review compared the differences in gut microbiota composition between healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with major psychiatric disorders, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). In addition, McGuinness et al. looked at potential commonalities in bacterial characteristics between sufferers of mental health disorders. After conducting a number of database searches, 44 studies that met the review inclusion criteria were identified. In total, this included 2510 psychiatric cases and 2407 control subjects. Most of the studies (24 out of 44) investigated gut microbiota composition in major depressive disorder, while there were 15 and 7 articles on gut microbiota in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively. The results did not strongly convey any variation in number or distribution (alpha diversity) of bacteria when comparing individuals with mental health disorders and healthy controls. However, there were consistent reports of differences in between-person diversity (beta diversity) in respondents with and without mental disorders. This review also identified several patterns in bacterial taxa among patients with mental disorders, including lower concentrations of bacterial genera that produce short-chain fatty acids and higher levels of lactic acid-producing bacteria. It was added that there was substantial variation in methodologies and reporting among the research studies included in the review. By conducting further research and using new tools as well as robust guidelines, we can potentially enhance the knowledge on the gut microbiota’s role in mental and brain health, and even develop interventions based on modulation of the gut microbiota. [NPID: gut microbiota, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, review, mental disorders, bacteria, gut bacteria]
Year: 2022
