Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Gut Microbiome Patterns in Early Life: Predictors of Brain Morphology and Psychopathology at 10 Years |
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| Contribution code | D2.152 |
| Authors | |
| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
The early-life gut microbiome is thought to influence neurodevelopment, but its long-term associations with brain morphology and mental health during dynamic periods of neuroplasticity are not well understood. In this study, we used data from 700 children in the COPSAC2010 prospective birth cohort to analyze the relationship between gut microbiome compositions from the first week to the first year of life and brain structure at 10 years of age. An unbiased supervised model was applied to identify compositional microbial patterns strongly linked to cortical features. Higher scores for this gut microbiome pattern, driven by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus in the one-week gut microbiome, were associated with lower global cortical surface area (-0.22 [-0.32, -0.12], p < 0.001) and higher global cortical thickness (0.14 [0.04, 0.24], p = 0.007), independent of intracranial volume, sex, and age at MRI. The microbiota pattern was also associated with mode of delivery (OR 1.39 [1.14, 1.70] p = 0.001), particularly cesarean section, but the relationship between the pattern and cortical surface area persisted in children delivered vaginally. Additionally, this microbiota score was associated with present obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms from the K-SADS-PL at age 10 (0.11 [0.04, 0.18] p = 0.002). These findings suggest that specific gut microbiota compositions in early life may influence the brain’s structural neurodevelopment and may influence later psychopathological outcomes. Further research is needed to clarify potential mechanisms and the role of early environmental factors to support adeuate neurodevelopment. |