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Molecular Characterization of Probiotics and Their Influence on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Nagwa A Meguid1,2, Youssef Imam A Mawgoud3, Geir Bjørklund4
1Research On Children With Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
Insights
Probiotic supplementation with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) significantly increased beneficial gut bacteria. This intervention also led to reduced anxiety and improved sleep in ASD children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often overlooked, potentially masked by behavioral issues.
- Correlations between the severity of behavioral symptoms and GIS in ASD children warrant further investigation into underlying mechanisms.
- Dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota, is increasingly implicated in ASD pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy for modulating clinical status in children with ASD.
- To assess the impact of specific probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.) on gut microbiota composition in ASD.
- To evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation on behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in young children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 40 children with ASD (aged 2-5 years) receiving a daily nutritional supplement containing Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains for 3 months.
- Assessment of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus colony counts in stool samples before and after supplementation.
- Clinical evaluation using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADIR), alongside the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in Bifidobacterium spp. (p=0.000) and Lactobacillus spp. (p=0.015) colony counts were observed in the stool of ASD children post-supplementation.
- Probiotic intervention resulted in reduced anxiety and improved deep sleep in 80% of the participating ASD children.
- The study demonstrated a positive correlation between probiotic intake and improvements in specific ASD-related symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Probiotic supplementation with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus shows potential as an effective adjuvant therapy for children with ASD.
- This intervention may help in reducing the severity of ASD symptoms and correcting gut dysbiosis.
- Targeting the gut microbiome through probiotics offers a promising avenue for managing ASD symptoms and improving quality of life.
Abstract:
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are usually unable to express abdominal discomfort properly, and thus gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) are sometimes shadowed by aggression, which is sometimes misunderstood as a behavioral characteristic of ASD. Several studies have reported interesting correlations between the severity of behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in ASD children. The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy to modulate the clinical status of ASD children. This study included 40 children with ASD aged 2-5 years. The feeding product was prepared from whey powder (without casein) and some minced cooked yellow vegetables in adequate ratios fortified with the studied probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.). Bifidobacterium strains were assessed from stool samples of children with ASD. Bifidobacterium strains were analyzed in the stools of ASD children. Recruited ASD patients received 10 g of the nutritional supplement once a day for 3 months. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADIR) were reevaluated clinically. Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version was used for all children with ASD before and after. There is a significant increase in the colony counts of both Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., which present in the stool of ASD children after probiotic supplementation for 3 months. It was highly significant in the case of Bifidobacterium spp. (p value 0.000) and a significant increase in Lactobacillus spp. (p value 0.015). The present study showed reduced anxiety and observation of deep sleep for children with ASD (80%) after taking the supplementation. This indicates that probiotics may have a potential effect in reducing symptoms and severity of ASD and in correcting dysbiosis.
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