Abstract
A fundamental shift in neuroscience suggests bidirectional interaction of gut microbiota with the healthy and dysfunctional brain. This microbiota-gut-brain axis has mainly been investigated in stress-related psychopathology (e.g. depression, anxiety). The hippocampus, a key structure in both the healthy brain and psychopathologies, is implicated by work in rodents that suggests gut microbiota substantially impact hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. However, understanding microbiota-hippocampus mechanisms in health and disease, and translation to humans, is hampered by the absence of a coherent evaluative approach. We review the current knowledge regarding four main gut microbiota-hippocampus routes in rodents: through the vagus nerve; via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis; by metabolism of neuroactive substances; and through modulation of host inflammation. Next, we suggest an approach including testing (biomarkers of) the four routes as a function of the influence of gut microbiota (composition) on hippocampal-dependent (dys)functioning. We argue that such an approach is necessary to proceed from the current state of preclinical research to beneficial application in humans to optimise microbiota-based strategies to treat and enhance hippocampal-dependent memory (dys)functions.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 105296 |
Journal | Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |
Volume | 152 |
Early online date | 26 Jun 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Sept 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The work by Laura Steenbergen was supported by a Veni grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ( NWO, 016. Veni.198.030 ). The funding source had no further role in the work reported in this review.
Keywords
- Dysbiosis
- Gut microbiota
- Hippocampus
- HPA-axis
- Inflammation
- Learning
- Memory
- Metabolites
- Microbiota-gut-brain axis
- Neurogenesis
- Prebiotic
- Probiotic
- Short chain fatty acid
- Vagus nerve
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience