Is adolescence the missing developmental link in Microbiome-Gut-Brain axis communication?

Area of Science:

• Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
• Microbiome Research
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Gut microbiome research offers novel therapeutic avenues for mental health conditions.
• Understanding of the gut microbiome's brain influence is primarily from animal models.
• Limited knowledge exists on the gut microbiome's role in adolescent neural and behavioral development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the relevance of the gut microbiome in developmental cognitive neuroscience.
• To summarize existing human research on the gut microbiome's connection to social-affective brain function and behavior.
• To focus on the gut microbiome's influence during adolescence across six key developmental domains.

Main Methods:

• Literature review synthesizing current research.
• Focus on developmental cognitive neuroscience and microbiome science.
• Analysis of the gut microbiome's impact on adolescent social processes, motivation, neural development, cognition, neuroendocrine function, and physical health.

Main Results:

• The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as crucial for developmental cognitive neuroscience.
• Evidence highlights the gut microbiome's association with social-affective functions and behaviors.
• Adolescence is a critical period where the gut microbiome may bidirectionally influence development across multiple domains.

Conclusions:

• The gut microbiome plays a significant role in shaping adolescent development.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome and adolescent brain and behavior.
• The gut microbiome holds promise for transforming adolescent development and mental health interventions.