Annual Research Review: Critical windows – the microbiota–gut–brain axis in neurocognitive development
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Accepted version
Date
2019-11-26
Authors
Cowan, Caitlin S. M.
Dinan, Timothy G.
Cryan, John F.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Published Version
Abstract
The gut microbiota is a vast, complex, and fascinating ecosystem of microorganisms that resides in the human gastrointestinal tract. As an integral part of the microbiota–gut–brain axis, it is now being recognized that the microbiota is a modulator of brain and behavior, across species. Intriguingly, periods of change in the microbiota coincide with the development of other body systems and particularly the brain. We hypothesize that these times of parallel development are biologically relevant, corresponding to ‘sensitive periods’ or ‘critical windows’ in the development of the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Specifically, signals from the microbiota during these periods are hypothesized to be crucial for establishing appropriate communication along the axis throughout the life span. In other words, the microbiota is hypothesized to act like an expected input to calibrate the development of the microbiota–gut–brain axis. The absence or disruption of the microbiota during specific developmental windows would therefore be expected to have a disproportionate effect on specific functions or potentially for regulation of the system as a whole. Evidence for microbial modulation of neurocognitive development and neurodevelopmental risk is discussed in light of this hypothesis, finishing with a focus on the challenges that lay ahead for the future study of the microbiota–gut–brain axis during development.
Description
Keywords
Cognitive development , Child development , Early-life experience , Environmental exposures , Neurodevelopmental disorders
Citation
Cowan, C. S. M., Dinan, T. G. and Cryan, J. F. 'Annual Research Review: Critical windows – the microbiota–gut–brain axis in neurocognitive development', Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13156
Copyright
© 2019 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: (2019), Annual Research Review: Critical windows – the microbiota–gut–brain axis in neurocognitive development. J Child Psychol Psychiatr., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13156 .This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.