The role of Gut Instinct and the Gut Microbiome (GM) in Psychotherapy ( Page 2 )
In utero and birth transmission
- Certain microbes transmitted in utero
- Mother exposes baby to her microbes via passage through birth canal
- Risks associated with C. Section as these babies are colonized by microbes from health care workers, environment, medical equipment and other newborns
- Vaginally delivered babies colonized by maternal faecal and vaginal bacteria (beneficial for future)
Neonatal and infant microbes
- Anaerobic colonization => gut oxygen consumed
- Few weeks Clostridium, Bacteroides and Bifidobacteria
- Year 1 each infant has distinct microbial profile
- Age 2.5 diversity of microbiome same as adult:
- Prevotella
- Ruminococcus
- Bacteroides
Germ-free mice deficits
Cognition/Behaviour
- Recognition memory
- Sociability
- Anxiety
- Locomotion
- Self-grooming
Neurobiochemistry
- BDNF
- 5-HT
- ACTH/Corticosterone
- Neuronal transription
- Neurotransmission
Cognitive development
- Dependent on activity of gut microbiome
- Memory dependent on hippocampal function
- Changing microbe diversity in elderly may worsen brain inflammation linked to depression, diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease
Sociability
- Mice induced to have ASD like behaviour
- Rx Bacteroides fragilis
- Improved communication defects
- Reduced stereotpical anxiety and sensorimotor behaviours
- Potential of probiotic Rx for ASD in humans
- GIT symptoms in ASD patients warrants further investigation
Human performance curve
Stress response
- Depends on diversity of gut microbiome
- Narrow window in early years where colonization must occur to normalise the HPA axis (implications for psychotherapy)
- Early maternal separation impacts adversely on both gut microbiome and HPA axis
- Key is avoiding stress beyond pivot point
- Increasing burden on society of toxic stress
Human studies APC Microbiome Institute, UCC Ireland, t.dinan@ucc.ie
- Single psychobiotic B.longum 1714 strain
- Showed enhanced prefrontal activity associated with top-down processing
- Key implications with the link to bottom up processing associated with body based therapies such as somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy and my integrative approach BART psychotherapy (Art of BART (www.Karnacbooks.com 2015)