Brain functioning is known to naturally decline as we age, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state when small changes in memory and other mental abilities coexist with normal functioning.
Such declines in functions are often a warning sign of dementia – a term used to describe various different brain disorders that a progressive loss of brain functioning in common.
New data published in Journal of Immunology Research indicated that there are series of species in the gut microbiota that could act as a signature for MCI.
“Our results can be used to guide the development of a microbiota-based diagnosis in the early detection of MCI and subsequent AD [Alzheimer’s disease],” stated scientists from the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China. “Additionally, the new-found alterations in the bacteria of MCI cases may provide clues for a probiotic regimen that could alleviate age-associated cognitive decline.”
Microbiota-gut-brain axis
The study adds to the ever-growing area of research around the microbiota-gut-brain axis, that bi-directional interaction between the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system. The area is gaining increasing attention from scientists and consumers.
A 2015 review in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment by Linghong Zhou and Jane Foster from McMaster University in Canada noted that the bacteria present in the gut affects the communication between belly and brain, and the lack of healthy gut microbiota leads to dysfunction in the gut–brain axis, which in turn may lead to neuropsychological, metabolic, and gastrointestinal disorders.