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Influence of gut microbiota on neuropsychiatric disorders
This 2017 review breaks down the studies supporting gut microbiota’s role in neuropsychiatric disorders and also takes a look at the possible mechanisms in which it contributes to mental health and illness. Cenit et al. (2017) highlighted the fact that it was not yet known whether or not the alterations in the gut microbiota composition (that are associated with numerous neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, autism and Parkinson’s disease) are the causal factors or are simply its secondary effects. Gut microbiota has been suggested to be capable of influencing the development or pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric conditions following a few animal studies showing the transfer of a behavioral phenotype after gut microbiota transplantation. The review recognises the importance of elucidating all the underlying mechanisms by which the microbiota in the gut and the brain communicate with one another, in the quest for novel strategies to regulate the gut microbiota and improve mental health. The possible microbiota-targeted intervention strategies are discussed here, taking into consideration the stages of life where the gut microbiota is more susceptible to the effects of environmental stressors. [NPID: microbiome, MGBA, gut-brain axis, gut microbiome, autism, Parkinson’s disease, behavioral phenotype, environmental stressors]
Year: 2017
