Browsing by Author "Häkli, Eveliina"

Over the last few years, there has been growing interest among researchers in the relationship between the gut’s microbiota and psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have shown that changes in the gut's microbiota are associated with many psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, it has been proposed that microbiota's imbalance or dysbiosis might be a potential risk factor for these disorders. The purpose of this review was to collect together results of studies that have examined the communication between central nervous system and the gut's microbiota. In particular, the aim was to consider the role of the gut microbiota in psychiatric disorder’s etiology and pathogenesis. So far, most of the research has been conducted on rodents, but there are some human studies as well. In a typical study design researchers have assessed probiotic treatment's effect on behavior that contributes to stress, anxiety or depression. Animal experiments indicate that the alterations in gut microbiota can induce changes in the anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms. However, the gut microbiota has direct effects on systems that are also known to be integrally affiliated with psychiatric disorders. These include the immune, stress and neurotransmitter system. It seems that the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the microbiota is primarily explained by a variety of mediating mechanisms. Better understanding of these mechanisms could enable a more efficient treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders in the future. The significance of the gut microbiota in terms of human well-being is still mostly unknown, as majority of the knowledge so far is based on indirect evidence.