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Microbiome and schizophrenia
In this article, Akhondzadeh (2019) briefly reviews data that suggest that the microbiome may improve our understanding of schizophrenia. While antipsychotic treatments exist, they have effectiveness and safety limitations, and lack the capacity to treat the negative symptoms of schizophrenia as effectively as antipsychotics used for positive symptoms. Researchers have identified a subset of bacteria in schizophrenia patients that differ from that in individuals without this disorder. When samples of this bacteria were taken from patients and administered to healthy mice, behavioral changes occurred. This evidence suggests that the gut biomes of individuals with schizophrenia are different from neurotypical people and implies that certain bacteria may be associated with schizophrenia-related symptoms. These bacteria are thought to interact with microbiota gut-brain amino acids and play a role in lipid metabolic pathways. Overall, this research has led to revelations that the bacteria in the human gut may be linked with our moods, feelings, and even our thoughts. [NPID: mood disorders, psychiatric disorders, gut microbiota, microbiome, schizophrenia]
Year: 2019
