The Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interactions/behaviors and increased stereotypical repetitive behavior. Gastrointestinal disorders, ranging from severe constipation to diarrhea, are particularly prevalent for people on the autism spectrum, which may relate to an underlying dysbiosis (breakdown or imbalance) in the gut microbial community. Many studies have also identified changes in the gut microbiome in ASD compared to neurotypical cohorts in animal models and human populations. Microbial probiotics to help revert these gut microbial changes have been tested in animal models of ASD. Some have shown reversal of ASD behaviors and modulating the integrity of the gastrointestinal epithelial barrier. The gut-microbiota-brain axis has been described as a multidirectional communication channel between the three systems: the gut, gut microbes, and the brain, but whether these gastrointestinal microbes play a role in the context of ASD and whether they can be harnessed as a target for gastrointestinal therapies in humans is yet to be determined.

Effect of stigma maydis polysaccharide on the gut microbiota and transcriptome of VPA induced autism model rats

“…To date, many studies have reported alterations in the GM of ASD children and autistic animal models (Schneider and Przewłocki, 2005;Ma et al, 2019;Wong et al, 2021). However, due to the influence of the dietary structure and habits of ASD children, considerable heterogeneity is observed in the changes in the intestinal flora (Liu et al, 2019;Iglesias-Vázquez et al, 2020;Zou et al, 2020).…”

Exposure to Antibiotics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Could Probiotics Modulate the Gut–Brain Axis?

“…The GI profile exhibits an altered gut microbial composition, altered social behavior, increased gut permeability, and colon proinflammatory biomarkers [ 122 ]. During pregnancy, alterations of the maternal gut can influence the microbial diversity and immunity in the offspring, predisposing them to the onset of NDD conditions [ 123 , 124 , 125 ]. This is the case of the maternal immune activation (MIA) mouse model, in which pregnant mice are administered with potent immune activator and generate pups with ASD-like behaviors [ 126 ].…”