Cross Talk: The Microbiota and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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.

Oral Administration of Heat-Treated Lactobacilli Modifies the Murine Microbiome and Reduces Citrobacter Induced Colitis

“…Significant evidence supports the relationship between the gut microbiome, inflammation, host response, and health (Pedersen et al, 2016;Dinan and Cryan, 2017;Kelly et al, 2017;Giron and Quigley, 2018). Disruption of the microbiome can lead to changes in microbial metabolism and consequently host metabolism (Belizario et al, 2018).…”

Connection between gut microbiome and brain development in preterm infants

“…While many clinical studies show altered microbial profiles in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a high heterogeneity in the findings (Cao, Lin, Jiang, & Li, 2013;Kelly, Minuto, Cryan, Clarke, & Dinan, 2017). A recent systematic review (Cao et al, 2013) validated the notion that there are alterations in the microbial communities in ASD but conflicting results are reported in the prevalence of the three main phyla of GI bacteria namely Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria (Finegold et al, 2010;Kang et al, 2013;Williams et al, 2011), as well as Clostridium genus bacteria (Finegold et al, 2010(Finegold et al, , 2002Parracho, Bingham, Gibson, & McCartney, 2005;Song, Liu, & Finegold, 2004), and Bifidobacterium (genus or species) (Adams, Johansen, Powell, Quig, & Rubin, 2011;Finegold et al, 2010;Gondalia et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2011) between children with ASD and controls.…”

Very Early Identification and Intervention for Infants at Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Approach

“…A second key issue related to the transdiagnostic approach is whether mechanistic pathways underlying neurodevelopmental impairment are the same or different across NDDs. Identifying mechanistic pathways (e.g., at the epigenetic, neural, or immunological level) may inform the timing of intervention by identifying prebehavioral markers of risk, and may help identify novel targets for treatment and develop precision therapeutics to apply transdiagnostically (Cioni, Inguaggiato, & Sgandurra, ; Kelly, Minuto, Cryan, Clarke, & Dinan, ). In cases in which a particular pathophysiological pathway gives rise to an array of neurodevelopmental impairments, targeting intervention at the mechanism rather than the symptoms provides a parsimonious approach to treatment.…”