Abstract
Overall : The brain-gut-microbiota axis is emerging as a research area of increasing interest for those investigating the biological and physiological basis of neurodevelopmental, age-related and neurodegenerative disorders. The routes of communication between the gut and brain include the vagus nerve, the immune system, tryptophan metabolism, via the enteric nervous system or by way of microbial metabolites such as short chain fatty acids. These mechanisms also impinge on neuroendocrine function at multiple levels. Studies in animal models have been key in delineating that neurodevelopment and the programming of an appropriate stress response is dependent on the microbiota. Developmentally, a variety of factors can impact the microbiota in early life including mode of birth delivery, antibiotic exposure, mode of nutritional provision, infection, stress as well as host genetics. At the other extreme of life, individuals who age with considerable ill health tend to show narrowing in microbial diversity. Stress can significantly impact the microbiota-gut-brain axis at all stages across the lifespan. Recently, the gut microbiota has been implicated in a variety of conditions including obesity, autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, animal models have been key in linking the regulation of fundamental brain processes ranging from adult hippocampal neurogenesis to myelination to microglia activation by the microbiome. Finally, studies examining the translation of these effects from animals to humans are currently ongoing. Further studies will focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying such brain effects and developing nutritional and microbial-based intervention strategies.
Highlights
Schizophrenia risk has been linked to urbanization but the underlying mechanistic link remains unknown
Schizophrenia risk was controlled for a range of individual and socioeconomic characteristics that may confound the effect of green space including age, sex and parental education, salary, and employment status
We found green space to decrease schizophrenia risk independent of urbanization - pointing to green space as a new environmental risk factor for schizophrenia development
Summary
One source of controversy in the emerging field of autoimmune psychiatry concerns varying prevalence estimates of neuronal surface autoantibodies (NSAbs) in psychiatric disorders, psychotic disorders. Differences in assay methodology and patient selection may contribute to varying case-control estimates. I will argue that the field needs to move beyond small n prevalence studies, to address the question of the relevance of NSAbs in psychotic disorders, and namely the following questions: 1) Does the presence of NSAbs offer any aetiopathological insights into psychosis i.e. by associating with other disease-relevant biomarkers?. 2) Do NSAbs shape the clinical phenotype of psychotic disorders? 3) Do NSAbs have a predictive role in psychotic disorders, in terms of treatment response or course of illness? 2) Do NSAbs shape the clinical phenotype of psychotic disorders? 3) Do NSAbs have a predictive role in psychotic disorders, in terms of treatment response or course of illness?
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