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Gut microbiome, cognitive function and brain structure: a multi-omics integration analysis
Liang X, Fu Y, Cao WT, Wang Z, Zhang K, Jiang Z, Jia X, Liu CY et al.. Translational neurodegeneration, 2022-11-14
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Microbiome-gut-brain axis may be involved in the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and relevant brain structure changes, but evidence from large human cohorts is lacking. This study was aimed to investigate the associations of gut microbiome with cognitive impairment and brain structure based on multi-omics from three independent populations. Methods We included 1430 participants from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS) with both gut microbiome and cognitive assessment data available as a discovery cohort, of whom 272 individuals provided fecal samples twice before cognitive assessment. We selected 208 individuals with baseline microbiome data for brain magnetic resonance imaging during the follow-up visit. Fecal 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, targeted serum metabolomics, and cytokine measurements were performed in the GNHS. The validation analyses were conducted in an Alzheimer's disease case-control study (replication study 1, n = 90) and another community-based cohort (replication study 2, n = 1300) with cross-sectional dataset. Results We found protective associations of specific gut microbial genera (Odoribacter, Butyricimonas, and Bacteroides) with cognitive impairment in both the discovery cohort and the replication study 1. Result of Bacteroides was further validated in the replication study 2. Odoribacter was positively associated with hippocampal volume (β, 0.16; 95% CI 0.06-0.26, P = 0.002), which might be mediated by acetic acids. Increased intra-individual alterations in gut microbial composition were found in participants with cognitive impairment. We also identified several serum metabolites and inflammation-associated metagenomic species and pathways linked to impaired cognition. Conclusions Our findings reveal that specific gut microbial features are closely associated with cognitive impairment and decreased hippocampal volume, which may play an important role in dementia development.
Key findings
- Results We found protective associations of specific gut microbial genera (Odoribacter, Butyricimonas, and Bacteroides) with cognitive impairment in both the discovery cohort and the replication study 1.
- Result of Bacteroides was further validated in the replication study 2.
- Odoribacter was positively associated with hippocampal volume (β, 0.16; 95% CI 0.06-0.26, P = 0.002), which might be mediated by acetic acids.
- Conclusions Our findings reveal that specific gut microbial features are closely associated with cognitive impairment and decreased hippocampal volume, which may play an important role in dementia development.
Study details
- Study designcase-control study
- Participants90
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a case-control study. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 37 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 64 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Translational neurodegeneration) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 6 / 12 | A case-control study |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 90 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36376937) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 37 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 64 out of 100. |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Liang, X., Fu, Y., Cao, W. T., Wang, Z., Zhang, K., Jiang, Z., et al. (2022). Gut microbiome, cognitive function and brain structure: a multi-omics integration analysis. Translational neurodegeneration. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-022-00323-z
Vancouver
Liang X, Fu Y, Cao WT, Wang Z, Zhang K, Jiang Z, et al. Gut microbiome, cognitive function and brain structure: a multi-omics integration analysis. Translational neurodegeneration. 2022. doi:10.1186/s40035-022-00323-z. PMID: 36376937.
BibTeX
@article{liang2022-36376937,
author = {Liang, X. and Fu, Y. and Cao, W. T. and Wang, Z. and Zhang, K. and Jiang, Z. and Jia, X. and Liu, C. Y. and others},
title = {{Gut microbiome, cognitive function and brain structure: a multi-omics integration analysis}},
journal = {Translational neurodegeneration},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1186/s40035-022-00323-z},
pmid = {36376937},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-022-00323-z}
}