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Relationships of the gut microbiome with cognitive development among healthy school-age children

Yelena Lapidot1, Maayan Maya1, Leah Reshef2

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|June 5, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiome is linked to cognitive development in children. A more diverse gut microbiome in school-age children correlated with higher intelligence scores (FSIQ).

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Neurodevelopmental science
  • Pediatric health

Background:

  • The gut microbiome's role in neurodevelopment is under investigation.
  • Existing evidence linking the gut microbiome to cognitive development in children is limited.
  • This study explores the connection between intestinal bacteria and cognitive function in school-aged children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between the gut microbiome composition and cognitive development in school-age children.
  • To investigate how factors like socioeconomic status (SES) influence this relationship.
  • To identify specific bacterial taxa related to cognitive performance.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 165 healthy Israeli Arab children (ages 6-9).
  • Gut microbiome analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on fecal samples.
  • Cognitive function assessed via Stanford-Binet test (full-scale Intelligence Quotient - FSIQ); statistical models controlled for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Higher gut microbiome diversity (alpha-diversity) was significantly associated with increased FSIQ scores.
  • Gut microbiome composition (beta-diversity) was significantly explained by FSIQ score and SES.
  • Specific bacteria, including Prevotella and Bacteroides uniformis, showed significant associations with FSIQ.

Conclusions:

  • Significant independent associations exist between the gut microbiome and cognitive development in school-age children.
  • Gut microbiome diversity and composition are potential factors influencing cognitive outcomes.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrencognitive developmentgut microbiomehealthyschool agesocioeconomic status

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