Several psychiatric and neurological disorders have been linked with the function of the gut microflora, including schizophrenia.[Nguyen et al., 2018; Chrobak et al., 2016; Dickerson et al., 2017] There are several pathways in the body that link the gut and the brain, as shown on the slide.[Rodrigues-Amorim et al., 2018]
Researchers have compared the oropharynx microbiome of patients with schizophrenia to that of healthy controls, in an attempt to isolate differences between them and potentially demonstrate the importance of inflammatory pathways in the pathology of schizophrenia.[Castro-Nallar et al., 2015] Many striking differences were seen in the analysis, including in the variety and in the types of microbiome species seen.[Castro-Nallar et al., 2015] It is at least conceivable that a greater understanding of the composition of the microbiome and its affect on the cognitive functioning and neurobiology of humans could lead to new approaches for diagnosing, typing, and treating schizophrenia.[Castro-Nallar et al., 2015]
References:
Castro-Nallar E, Bendall ML, Pérez-Losada M, et al. Composition, taxonomy and functional diversity of the oropharynx microbiome in individuals with schizophrenia and controls. PeerJ 2015; 3: e1140.
Chrobak AA, Nowakowski J, Dudek D. Interactions between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system and their role in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Arch Psychiatr Psychother 2016; 2: 5–11.
Dickerson F, Severance E, Yolken R. The microbiome, immunity, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 62: 46–52.
Nguyen TT, Kosciolek T, Eyler LT, et al. Overview and systematic review of studies of microbiome in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 99: 50–61.
Rodrigues-Amorim D, Rivera-Baltanás T, Regueiro B, et al. The role of the gut microbiota in schizophrenia: current and future perspectives. World J Biol Psychiatry 2018; 19 (8): 571–585.