The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating brain development and behavioral outcomes during childhood. However, associations between the gut microbiota and behavior in children have shown inconsistent results across studies, possibly due to individual variations in host-microbe relationships. This study aims to stratify typically developing preschool-aged children based on their gut microbiota composition and identify novel associations between stool metabolomic pathways and behavioral outcomes.
Methods
- Participants: A community sample of 248 typically developing children aged 3β5 years was recruited.
- Stool Sampling: Stool samples were collected, and gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S sequencing.
- Metabolomic Analysis: Untargeted metabolomics were performed using LC-MS/MS to assess stool metabolomic pathways.
- Behavioral Assessment: Parent-reported behavioral outcomes were evaluated using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2).
- Cluster Analysis: Children were grouped based on their gut microbiota composition using the Dirichlet multinomial method.
- Statistical Analysis: Differences in metabolome and behavioral outcomes among gut microbiota clusters were investigated using Cox regression models.
Key Scientific Findings
Gut Microbiota Clusters:
- Four distinct gut microbiota clusters were identified, characterized by varying abundances of Bacteroides, Subdoligranulum, and Bifidobacterium.
- Bifidobacterium-dominant clusters were associated with reduced Adaptive Skills scores, while Bacteroides-enriched clusters showed associations with lower Social Skills and Functional Communication scores.
Metabolomic Pathways:
- Cluster Ba2, enriched in both Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium, exhibited a distinct stool metabolome.
- Histidine to urocanate turnover was associated with Social Skills scores, and galactose metabolism was linked to Daily Living scores specifically in cluster Ba2.
- Lower bacterial taxa correlated with histidine-urocanate turnover rates, suggesting reduced gut microbiota involvement in histidine metabolism in cluster Ba2.
Behavioral Outcomes:
- Children in cluster Ba2 showed reduced Adaptive Skill scores, particularly in Social Skills and Functional Communication subcomponents.
- Associations between gut microbiota clusters and developmental social disorders and reduced adaptive skills suggest potential links between gut microbiota composition and child behavior.
This study reveals novel associations between gut microbiota composition, stool metabolomic pathways, and child behavioral outcomes in preschool-aged children. Cluster-based groupings provide insights into personalized interventions for improving child behavioral outcomes. The findings contribute to our understanding of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and highlight the potential for microbiome-targeted interventions to enhance child development and behavior. Further research is warranted to explore the longitudinal effects of gut microbiota clusters on child health outcomes and the efficacy of personalized interventions.
Link to the study : https://tinyurl.com/5dkps4v5
