The relationship between the gut microbiota and neuropsychological development and behaviour during childhood and adolescence: a systematic review of epidemiological studies - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #children
- #neurodevelopment
- #gut microbiota
- Early-life microbial colonization may influence cognitive development and behavior in children and adolescents.
- A systematic review identified 78 studies on gut microbiota and neuropsychological development, with high heterogeneity in methodologies.
- Only 42% of studies used longitudinal designs, and confounding factors like diet and medication were often unaddressed.
- Microbiome alterations in autism spectrum disorder include shifts in community structure, elevated Clostridium and Sutterella, and reduced Blautia, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium.
- Functional analyses suggest immunomodulatory and neuroactive processes, including elevated short-chain fatty acids, play a role.
- Findings for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were less consistent compared to autism spectrum disorder.
- In the general pediatric population, associations were modest, with Veillonella and Bifidobacterium linked to enhanced neuropsychological development.
- Most studies were of poor to fair quality due to technical and statistical limitations.
- Future research should focus on standardized protocols and multi-omics integration for clinically actionable insights.