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Review
. 2017 Sep 15:11:490.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00490. eCollection 2017.

Cross Talk: The Microbiota and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

John R Kelly  1   2 , Chiara Minuto  1   2 , John F Cryan  2   3 , Gerard Clarke  1   2 , Timothy G Dinan  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Cross Talk: The Microbiota and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

John R Kelly et al. Front Neurosci. .

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.

Keywords: autism; gut-brain axis; immune system; microbiome; microbiota; psychobiotics; schizophrenia; social cognition.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The microbiome-gut-brain axis in psychiatry. A number of factors have an influence on the assembly, composition and stability of the gut microbiota including mode of birth, lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, and stress. These factors could thus impact signaling along the microbiome-gut-brain axis, which has been implicated in a variety of behavioral features relevant to schizophrenia and autism including anxiety and cognition. This impact may be underpinned by microbial regulation of the host immune system, CNS BDNF expression and microglial activation states.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The gut microbiome and the neurobiology of schizophrenia and autism. Autism and schizophrenia are associated with a number of alterations in the CNS including altered availability of neuroactive precursors. Studies in germ free animals indicate a substantial overlap between these neurobiological characteristics and the scope of influence of the gut microbiome in the CNS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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