The gut-brain axis and schizophrenia

Questioning Answers News and views on autism

research and other musings.
A micropost to direct your attention to the recent paper by Katlyn Nemani and
colleagues [1] titled: 'Schizophrenia and the gut-brain axis'. Mentioning words like that
! couldn't resist o""ering a little e#posure to this re$iew and opinion piece drawing on
what seems to be some renewed research interest in work started by pioneers such as the
late %urt &ohan ['].
(he usual triad o" gastrointestinal )*!+ $ariables , gut barrier gut bacteria and gut
immune "unction , are mentioned in the article concluding that: -A significant subgroup
of patients may benefit from the initiation of a gluten and casein-free diet- among other
things. Not a million miles away "rom related suggestions when it comes to something
like the autism spectrum disorders )A.&s+ )see here+ bearing in mind the concept o"
o$erlapping spectrums )see here+ and the [plural] schi/ophrenias.
!'m also minded to hat,tip another research team including 0mily .e$erance and
colleagues who are going great guns when it comes to the whole *!,"ood link in cases
o" schi/ophrenia and beyond )see here "or my recent discussion o" some o" her work+.
Another o" her 1uite recent papers [2] on cerebrospinal "luid )%.3+ le$els o" antibody
response to wheat gluten and bo$ine milk in "irst,episode schi/ophrenia represents
another master,class o" research in this area. (heir suggestion o" potential e$idence "or a
leaky blood,%.3 barrier is something else which might stimulate "urther research in this
area including some mention "or the molecular handyperson that is melatonin among
other things to -protect against blood-brain barrier and choroid plexus pathologies-.
.uch "indings might also be rele$ant "or other %.3 issues reported with schi/ophrenia
in mind )see here+.
And whilst we're talking all,things biological membrane permeability and
schi/ophrenia !'ll also link to the paper by 4ulio,5ieper and colleagues [6] )open,access+
re$iewing some o" the e$idence on the 'contro$ersial association' between intestinal
barrier dys"unction and $arious conditions )also co$ering some o" the literature with
autism in mind too+. Mainstream here we come7
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[1] Nemani K. et al. .chi/ophrenia and the gut,brain a#is. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol
Biol Psychiatry. '816 .ep 19. pii: .8'9:,;:6<)16+881<:,9
['] &ohan 3%. %ereals and schi/ophrenia data and hypothesis. Acta Psychiatrica
Scandinavica. 1=<<> 6': 1';?1;'.
[2] .e$erance 0*. et al. !g* dynamics o" dietary antigens point to cerebrospinal "luid
barrier or "low dys"unction in "irst,episode schi/ophrenia. Brain Behav Immun. '816
.ep 19. pii: .8::=,1;=1)16+886<',8.
[6] 4ulio,5ieper M. et al. @e$iew article: intestinal barrier dys"unction and central
ner$ous system disorders , a contro$ersial association. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. '816
.ep ':.
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Nemani K. *homi @. Mc%ormick A. B 3an C. )'816+. .chi/ophrenia
and the gut?brain a#is Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological
Psychiatry &D!: 18.181<EF.pnpbp.'816.8:.81: