Abstract
Humans evolved within a microbial ecosystem resulting in an interlinked physiology. The gut microbiota can signal to the brain via the immune system, the vagus nerve or other host-microbe interactions facilitated by gut hormones, regulation of tryptophan metabolism and microbial metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA), to influence brain development, function and behavior. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may play a role in shaping cognitive networks encompassing emotional and social domains in neurodevelopmental disorders. Drawing upon pre-clinical and clinical evidence, we review the potential role of the gut microbiota in the origins and development of social and emotional domains related to Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia. Small preliminary clinical studies have demonstrated gut microbiota alterations in both ASD and schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. However, we await the further development of mechanistic insights, together with large scale longitudinal clinical trials, that encompass a systems level dimensional approach, to investigate whether promising pre-clinical and initial clinical findings lead to clinical relevance.
Highlights
From an evolutionary-based perspective, the host and its microbiome evolved as a cooperative unit (Rosenberg et al, 2007; Zilber-Rosenberg and Rosenberg, 2008; Martin et al, 2015; Douglas and Werren, 2016)
Brains of social species exhibit a set of features that need to integrate for group living to become advantageous, and the development of the complex neural circuitry underlying social and emotional cognition is of fundamental importance to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (Adolphs, 2001; Lederbogen et al, 2011; Janak and Tye, 2015; Averbeck and Costa, 2017)
Childhood Autism Rating Scale Developmental Profile II Coded, paired videotapes scored by a clinical psychologist blinded to treatment status
Summary
From an evolutionary-based perspective, the host and its microbiome evolved as a cooperative unit (Rosenberg et al, 2007; Zilber-Rosenberg and Rosenberg, 2008; Martin et al, 2015; Douglas and Werren, 2016). Studies investigating ASD, the gut microbiota and SCFAs, showed significantly higher levels of Desulfovibrio species and Bacteroides vulgatus and higher levels of SCFA’s in the stools of autistic children compared to controls (Finegold et al, 2010; Wang et al, 2012).
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