Gut microbes may communicate with the brain to shape mood and behaviour
In short: A review of animal studies highlights an emerging 'microbiota-gut-brain axis', in which gut bacteria appear to send signals to the brain via neural, hormonal and immune pathways. Germ-free animals, and animals given pathogenic bacteria, probiotics or antibiotics, showed changes in anxiety, mood, cognition and pain-related behaviour.
Interest in the gut microbiota has grown as research links it to conditions from inflammation to obesity. This review adds the nervous system to that list, outlining a 'gut-brain axis' through which microbes might shape mood, cognition and pain via neural, endocrine and immune signalling.
The evidence comes from animal studies, including germ-free animals and animals given bacterial infections, probiotics or antibiotics, not human trials. The authors suggest modulating gut microbes could become a strategy for treating brain disorders, though this remains an early idea based on indirect animal evidence.
Why it matters: Gut bacteria may 'talk' to the brain, hinting at a new angle for treating mood and cognitive disorders, though the evidence so far is from animals.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Cryan and Dinan (2012). Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nature reviews. Neuroscience.
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