scholarly journals Beyond a gut feeling: How the immune system impacts the effect of gut microbiota in neurodevelopment

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiqah Azhari ◽  
Farouq Azizan ◽  
Gianluca Esposito

Abstract Hooks et al. posit that gastrointestinal microbes alter the end state of development indirectly. Here, we present the immune system as the link that facilitates communication between the gut and the brain. Illustrating the case of autism spectrum disorder, we explicate the role of the immune system in responding to microbial dysbiosis by inducing an inflammatory state that affects neurodevelopment. We propose two models: directly, within the infant, and indirectly, via maternal and infant systems.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 2095-2114
Author(s):  
Hemalakshmi R ◽  
Pavithra Amritkumar

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects behaviour and communication. It can be diagnosed at any age, although the symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. Autism is also known as a "spectrum" disorder because there is wide variation in the severity and type of patient experience. Intestinal dysbiosis remains a risk factor for several neuron-developmental disorders and physiological diseases such as ASD. The gut microbiome in human influence the total metabolomic profile and thus has an impact on the overall health of human. The brain-intestinal axis concept demonstrates the interaction between the brain and the diverse gut microbial population. Recent findings show that ASD symptoms in affected individuals are linked with the altered intestinal microbiome. The current treatment modality for the symptoms of ASD are limited to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and FDA approved medications like Risperidone and Aripiprazole. Individuals with ASD appear to be susceptible to adverse effects of these medications. Current accumulating studies indicate that Microbiota Transfer Therapy (MTT) is a promising technique for treating ASD. MTT involves in vitro batch culture of gut microbiota, which is viewed as a quick and accessible method. It has provided encouraging results by improving ASD-related gastrointestinal (GI) and behavioural symptoms in affected individuals. The present review focuses on the link between gut dysbiosis and ASD, analyses the available clinical studies related to various treatment options and describes the role of MTT as a promising therapy of bringing back the healthy gut microbiota composition in treating ASD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navya Bezawada ◽  
Tze Hui Phang ◽  
Georgina L. Hold ◽  
Richard Hansen

Introduction: Differences in microbiota composition in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to unaffected siblings and healthy controls have been reported in various studies. This study aims to systematically review the existing literature concerning the role of the gut microbiota in ASD. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to identify studies (January 1966 through July 2019). Results: A total of 28 papers were included. The studies ranged from 12 to 104 participants who were aged between 2 and 18 years from various geographical areas. Majority of studies included faecal samples; however, 4 studies examined mucosal biopsies from different sites. The heterogeneity in ASD diagnostic methodology, gut site sampled and laboratory methods used made meta-analysis inappropriate. Species reported to be significantly higher in abundance in autistic children included Clostridium, Sutterella, Desulfovibrio and Lactobacillus. The findings are however inconsistent across studies. In addition, ­potential confounding effects of antimicrobial use, gastrointestinal symptoms and diet on the gut microbiota are unclear due to generally poor assessment of these factors. Conclusion: It is clear that the gut microbiota is altered in ASD, although further exploration is needed on whether this is a cause or an effect of the condition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1588
Author(s):  
Yunho Jin ◽  
Jeonghyun Choi ◽  
Seunghoon Lee ◽  
Jong Won Kim ◽  
Yonggeun Hong

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is accompanied by social deficits, repetitive and restricted interests, and altered brain development. The majority of ASD patients suffer not only from ASD itself but also from its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Alterations in brain structure, synaptic development, and misregulation of neuroinflammation are considered risk factors for ASD and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Electroencephalography has been developed to quantitatively explore effects of these neuronal changes of the brain in ASD. The pineal neurohormone melatonin is able to contribute to neural development. Also, this hormone has an inflammation-regulatory role and acts as a circadian key regulator to normalize sleep. These functions of melatonin may play crucial roles in the alleviation of ASD and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. In this context, this article focuses on the presumable role of melatonin and suggests that this hormone could be a therapeutic agent for ASD and its related neuropsychiatric disorders.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4497
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Chernikova ◽  
Genesis D. Flores ◽  
Emily Kilroy ◽  
Jennifer S. Labus ◽  
Emeran A. Mayer ◽  
...  

Gastrointestinal dysfunction is one of the most prevalent physiological symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A growing body of largely preclinical research suggests that dysbiotic gut microbiota may modulate brain function and social behavior, yet little is known about the mechanisms that underlie these relationships and how they may influence the pathogenesis or severity of ASD. While various genetic and environmental risk factors have been implicated in ASD, this review aims to provide an overview of studies elucidating the mechanisms by which gut microbiota, associated metabolites, and the brain interact to influence behavior and ASD development, in at least a subgroup of individuals with gastrointestinal problems. Specifically, we review the brain-gut-microbiome system and discuss findings from current animal and human studies as they relate to social-behavioral and neurological impairments in ASD, microbiota-targeted therapies (i.e., probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation) in ASD, and how microbiota may influence the brain at molecular, structural, and functional levels, with a particular interest in social and emotion-related brain networks. A deeper understanding of microbiome-brain-behavior interactions has the potential to inform new therapies aimed at modulating this system and alleviating both behavioral and physiological symptomatology in individuals with ASD.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-19
Author(s):  
N.V. Solovyeva ◽  
N.S. Kitsul

Different syndromes hide under the mask of autism. Each is caused by a certain genetic fault disturbing the development of the brain and leading to symptoms of autism showing. A correctly done genetic diagnosis helps to avoid mistakes when choosing a way of treatment. The focus of this article is Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. The clinical example provided is Sasha’s story: how his treatment changed after specifying the diagnosis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 284-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amory Meltzer ◽  
Judy Van de Water

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léa Roussin ◽  
Naika Prince ◽  
Paula Perez-Pardo ◽  
Aletta D. Kraneveld ◽  
Sylvie Rabot ◽  
...  

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in 160 people in the world. Although there is a strong genetic heritability to ASD, it is now accepted that environmental factors can play a role in its onset. As the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms is four-times higher in ASD patients, the potential implication of the gut microbiota in this disorder is being increasingly studied. A disturbed microbiota composition has been demonstrated in ASD patients, accompanied by altered production of bacterial metabolites. Clinical studies as well as preclinical studies conducted in rodents have started to investigate the physiological functions that gut microbiota might disturb and thus underlie the pathophysiology of ASD. The first data support an involvement of the immune system and tryptophan metabolism, both in the gut and central nervous system. In addition, a few clinical studies and a larger number of preclinical studies found that modulation of the microbiota through antibiotic and probiotic treatments, or fecal microbiota transplantation, could improve behavior. Although the understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in the physiopathology of ASD is only in its early stages, the data gathered in this review highlight that this role should be taken in consideration.


Author(s):  
Bharathi Geetha ◽  
Thangaraj Sugunadevi ◽  
Babu Srija ◽  
Nagarajan Laleethambika ◽  
Vellingiri Balachandar

Music has the innate potential to reach all parts of the brain, stimulates certain brain areas which are not achievable through other modalities. Music Therapy (MT) is being used for more than a century to treat individuals who needs personalized care. MT optimizes motor, speech and language responsibilities of the brain and improves cognitive performance. Pervasive developmentdisorder (PDD) is a multifaceted, neuro developmental disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes under PDD, which is defined by deficiencies in three principal spheres: social connection with others, communicative and normal movement skills. The conventional imaging studies illustrate reduced brain area connectivity in people with ASD, involving selected parts of the brain cortex. People with ASD express much interest in musical activities which engages the brain network areas and improves communication and social skills.The main objective of this review is to analyze the potential role of MT in treating the neurological conditions, particularly ASD. Evidence based studies have reported the extensive therapeutic application of music on various part of the brain in a nonverbal child with autism through hearing or making music.Hence we hypothesized that MT intervention can improve the communication capacity in people with ASD, than customary neurorestoration therapy alone.


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