Gut bacteria and neuropsychiatric disorders
Date
2021-12-14
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Bacteria in the gut microbiome plays an intrinsic part in immune activation, intestinal
permeability, enteric reflex, and entero-endocrine signaling. Apart from physiological and structural
changes brought about by gut bacteria on entero-epithelial cells and mucus layers, a vast number of
signals generated in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) reaches the brain via the vagus nerve. Research on
the gut–brain axis (GBA) has mostly been devoted to digestive functions and satiety. Less papers have
been published on the role gut microbiota play in mood, cognitive behavior and neuropsychiatric
disorders such as autism, depression and schizophrenia. Whether we will be able to fully decipher
the connection between gut microbiota and mental health is debatable, especially since the gut
microbiome is diverse, everchanging and highly responsive to external stimuli. Nevertheless, the
more we discover about the gut microbiome and the more we learn about the GBA, the greater
the chance of developing novel therapeutics, probiotics and psychobiotics to treat gastro-intestinal
disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but also
improve cognitive functions and prevent or treat mental disorders. In this review we focus on the
influence gut bacteria and their metabolites have on neuropsychiatric disorders.
Description
CITATION: Dicks, L. M. T., Hurn, D. & Hermanus, D. 2021. Gut bacteria and neuropsychiatric disorders. Microorganisms, 9:2583, doi:10.3390/microorganisms9122583.
The original publication is available at https://www.mdpi.com
The original publication is available at https://www.mdpi.com
Keywords
Gut bacteria, Neurobehavioral disorders, Mental health, Gastrointestinal system -- Microbiology
Citation
Dicks, L. M. T., Hurn, D. & Hermanus, D. 2021. Gut bacteria and neuropsychiatric disorders. Microorganisms, 9:2583, doi:10.3390/microorganisms9122583.