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The microbiota-gut-brain axis in mental and neurodegenerative disorders: opportunities for prevention and intervention
Lidya K Yassin, Jurga Skrabulyte-Barbulescu, Shamsa H Alshamsi, Sara Saeed, Shamma H Alkuwaiti, Saif Almazrouei, Abeer Alnuaimi, Shamsa BaniYas et al.. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2025-10-01
Topic: Gut, metabolism and diet
The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) is increasingly recognized as a critical regulator of brain health, influencing both neurodevelopment and age-related neurological decline. Disruptions in this axis, driven by gut dysbiosis, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. This review synthesizes current evidence linking microbiota alterations to Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and stroke-including post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), as well as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Common findings include reduced microbial diversity, depletion of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing genera, and enrichment of pro-inflammatory taxa. These changes contribute to neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, microglial activation, and neurotransmitter imbalances. The review further explores the neurotoxic effects of external factors such as radiation and xenobiotics on the MGBA. Despite disorder-specific variations, shared microbial and immunological mechanisms emerge across the spectrum of conditions. Importantly, we present current and emerging strategies aimed at restoring gut-brain communication, including dietary interventions such as fiber-rich and Mediterranean diets, SCFA supplementation, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). These approaches show promise in alleviating cognitive and emotional symptoms, modulating immune responses, and potentially slowing disease progression. By integrating mechanistic insights with therapeutic perspectives, this review underscores the gut microbiota as a modifiable factor in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease. Targeting the MGBA offers a novel, translational approach to intervention that may ultimately contribute to healthier brain aging and improved outcomes across the lifespan.
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APA 7th
Yassin, L. K., Skrabulyte-Barbulescu, J., Alshamsi, S. H., Saeed, S., Alkuwaiti, S. H., Almazrouei, S., et al. (2025). The microbiota-gut-brain axis in mental and neurodegenerative disorders: opportunities for prevention and intervention. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1667448
Vancouver
Yassin LK, Skrabulyte-Barbulescu J, Alshamsi SH, Saeed S, Alkuwaiti SH, Almazrouei S, et al. The microbiota-gut-brain axis in mental and neurodegenerative disorders: opportunities for prevention and intervention. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 2025. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2025.1667448. PMID: 41104042.
BibTeX
@article{yassin2025-41104042,
author = {Yassin, Lidya K and Skrabulyte-Barbulescu, Jurga and Alshamsi, Shamsa H and Saeed, Sara and Alkuwaiti, Shamma H and Almazrouei, Saif and Alnuaimi, Abeer and BaniYas, Shamsa and others},
title = {{The microbiota-gut-brain axis in mental and neurodegenerative disorders: opportunities for prevention and intervention}},
journal = {Frontiers in aging neuroscience},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2025.1667448},
pmid = {41104042},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1667448}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Despite disorder-specific variations, shared microbial and immunological mechanisms emerge across the spectrum of conditions.
- Importantly, we present current and emerging strategies aimed at restoring gut-brain communication, including dietary interventions such as fiber-rich and Mediterranean diets, SCFA supplementation, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
- These approaches show promise in alleviating cognitive and emotional symptoms, modulating immune responses, and potentially slowing disease progression.
- By integrating mechanistic insights with therapeutic perspectives, this review underscores the gut microbiota as a modifiable factor in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease.
- Targeting the MGBA offers a novel, translational approach to intervention that may ultimately contribute to healthier brain aging and improved outcomes across the lifespan.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people 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, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in aging neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 41104042) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 24 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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