From gut dysbiosis to altered brain function and mental illness: Mechanisms and pathways

This 2016 review examined the influence gut microbiomes have on brain development and neurological function, and the mechanism in which this can lead to mental illnesses. Evidence has emerged that the gut microbiome can have an impact on neural development, cognition and behaviour through gut-brain axis (the bidirectional communication system between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract), and also that gut microbiota composition can be altered by behavior changes, while diversifying the microbiome can induce depressive-like behaviours. Rogers et al. (2016) go on to discuss how the increasing number of studies in this area of research can form a platform on which novel effective therapies can be designed. [NPID: microbiome, MGBA, gut-brain axis, gut microbiome, neurological function, brain development, GI tract]

Year: 2016

Reference: Rogers, G. B., Keating, D. J., Young, R. L., Wong, M. L., Licinio, J., & Wesselingh, S. (2016). From gut dysbiosis to altered brain function and mental illness: mechanisms and pathways. Molecular psychiatry, 21(6), 738–748. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2016.50

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