Journal of clinical medicine

The Gut Microbiome and Its Links to Brain Health from Development to Aging

Updated

Abstract

Microbiota-derived signals may regulate neurodevelopment and contribute to neurodegenerative disorders across the lifespan.

  • Immune activation, barrier dysfunction, and microbial metabolites are central mediators linking gut dysbiosis to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
  • Early-life microbial disturbances, influenced by antibiotic use, diet, and stress, may lead to long-term changes in immune and metabolic function.
  • Dysbiosis is consistently associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and major neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
  • Causal relationships between microbiota and neurological conditions remain unclear due to variability in studies and reliance on observational data.
  • A lifespan model suggests that microbial influences on immune and metabolic pathways affect both early brain development and late-life neurodegeneration.

Simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

Funding

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
PubMed

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free