Changes in gut, mouth bacteria tied to Parkinson’s cognitive decline Researchers: Guts of patients with dementia enriched with mouth bacteria
Some oral bacteria and related virulence factors, such as molecules that help bacteria colonize the body — many of which can trigger a poten...
Some oral bacteria and related virulence factors, such as molecules that help bacteria colonize the body — many of which can trigger a potent inflammatory response — were significantly enriched in the guts of Parkinson’s patients with cognitive impairment.
“Our findings suggest that promoting a healthy microbiome through consistent oral care, a balanced diet, and potentially targeted probiotic interventions could support improved disease management in Parkinson’s,” Saeed Shoaie, PhD, the study’s lead at King’s College London in the U.K., said in a university news story. The study, “Microbiome signatures of virulence in the oral-gut-brain axis influence Parkinson’s disease and cognitive decline pathophysiology,” was published in Gut Microbes.
People with Parkinson’s can have a range of nonmotor symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems such as constipation or nausea, in the years before motor symptoms appear. Changes in the gut may play a role in Parkinson’s development via the communication system between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis.
While the oral health of Parkinson’s patients also impacts the course of their disease, the contribution of mouth bacteria has been largely overlooked. In fact, Porphyromonas gingivalis, a well-studied oral bacterium, has been found in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and active gum disease, or periodontitis, has been reported to impact cognitive abilities.
“The human gut and oral bacterial communities
are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases,” Shoaie said. “Disruptions in the gut-brain axis could trigger inflammation and immune responses that contribute to neuronal damage.
