Signalling cognition: the gut microbiota and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing mechanisms and preclinical evidence without systematic methodology or primary human data.
PubMed 37404311 · doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1130689
What was done
This review synthesized literature on bidirectional communication within the microbiota-gut-brain axis, focusing on how gut microbiota modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to influence cognitive processes such as learning and memory across life.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data or specific numbers. It describes conceptual findings that gut microbes influence glucocorticoid release through neural, endocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways, and that stress reciprocally impacts the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Why it matters
Understanding gut-microbiota interactions with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis identifies potential neuroendocrine and metabolic pathways influencing stress responsiveness and cognitive function.
Limits
This is a narrative review with no systematic search methodology or primary quantitative data reported. Much of the underlying evidence derives from animal models, and clinical translation to humans remains under ongoing investigation.
Cited by
- context Cortisol release is known to produce an imbalance in the gut microbiome.