Microbiota-Brain-Gut Axis and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Abstract

A bi-directional channel of communication, the gut-brain axis, has been recognized for decades; now another dimension is added, the gut microbiome. Evidence now indicates a critical role for gut microbes in brain development and function; findings that have spurred a plethora of studies into relationships between gut microbiota profiles and neurodegenerative disorders. While findings in animal models suggest that a disturbed gut microbiome might contribute to the pathophysiology of neurological disorders, a causative relationship has yet to be defined and effective therapeutic strategies based on microbiota modulation have not, as yet, emerged.