Published online Oct 19, 2023. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i10.724
Peer-review started: June 6, 2023
First decision: June 21, 2023
Revised: August 8, 2023
Accepted: August 15, 2023
Article in press: August 15, 2023
Published online: October 19, 2023
Processing time: 127 Days and 18 Hours
The gut microbiome interacts with the central nervous system through the gut-brain axis, and this interaction involves neuronal, endocrine, and immune mechanisms, among others, which allow the microbiota to influence and respond to a variety of behavioral and mental conditions.
To explore the correlation between cognitive impairment and gut microbiota imbalance in patients with schizophrenia.
A total of 498 untreated patients with schizophrenia admitted to our hospital from July 2020 to July 2022 were selected as the case group, while 498 healthy volun
There were statistically significant differences in the relative abundance of gut microbiota at both phylum and class levels between the case group and the control group. In addition, the scores of cognitive function, such as atten-tion/alertness and learning ability, were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). The cognitive function was positively correlated with Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota, Euryarchaeota, Fusobacteria, Pseudomonadota, and Saccharibacteria, while negatively correlated with Bacillota, Tenericutes, and Verrucomicrobia at the phylum level. While at the class level, the cognitive function was positively correlated with Class Actinobacteria, Bacteroidia, Betaproteobacteria, Proteobacteria, Blastomycetes, and Gammaproteobacteria, while negatively correlated with Bacilli, Clostridia, Coriobacteriia, and Verrucomicrobiae.
There is a relationship between the metabolic results of gut microbiota and cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. When imbalances occur in the gut microbiota of patients, it leads to more severe cognitive impairment.
Core Tip: The highlights of this study are as follows. First, individuals with schizophrenia have imbalanced intestinal microbiota compared to healthy individuals. Second, patients with schizophrenia exhibit cognitive impairments in various areas such as attention, memory, social cognition, and executive function. Additionally, specific microbial groups such as Actinomycetes, Bacteroides, and Proteobacteria have shown a positive correlation with cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, there is a close relationship between metabolic imbalance of intestinal flora and cognitive impairment in individuals with schizophrenia. Lastly, further clinical trials are necessary to gather more data and insights for the development of effective treatments for schizophrenia.