Human-like associations between gut microbiome composition and inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in dogs

Evidence suggests a link between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the gut microbiome in humans. Dogs are a valuable model for ADHD research, as their gut microbiome more closely resembles the human gut microbiome in composition and functional overlap compared to rodent models. This study investigated potential associations between dogs' ADHD-related traits and gut microbiome composition/diversity. We assessed inattention, Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and related functional impairments of 164 family dogs using the validated Dog ADHD and Functional Rating Scale, and analysed bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from their faecal samples to assess the gut microbiome composition.

Higher relative abundance of members of the family Prevotellaceae and genus Prevotella was associated with lower inattention and inattention-related functional impairment scores by both decision tree and Generalized Linear Model analyses. Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and related functional impairments were found to be moderated by age, suggesting that these traits are predominantly age-related and only secondarily influenced by microbiome composition. ADHD total score was negatively associated with Erysipelotrichaceae and positively associated with Alloprevotella. Dogs with higher functional impairment scores had lower alpha-diversity in their gut microbiome, probably indicating reduced microbial health.

This is the first study that found negative associations between inattention and the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae in dogs, which parallels findings in human studies. Our current correlational results in family dogs represent only the first step in gaining more insight into the interplay of gut microbiome and neurodevelopmental processes in non-human animals.