Gut dysbiosis in Huntington's disease: associations among gut microbiota, cognitive performance and clinical outcomes

Abstract

Huntington's disease is characterized by a triad of motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairments, as well as unintended weight loss. Although much of the research has focused on cognitive, motor and psychiatric symptoms, the extent of peripheral pathology and the relationship between these factors, and the core symptoms of Huntington's disease, are relatively unknown. Gut microbiota are key modulators of communication between the brain and gut, and alterations in microbiota composition (dysbiosis) can negatively affect cognition, behaviour and affective function, and may be implicated in disease progression. Furthermore, gut dysbiosis was recently reported in Huntington's disease transgenic ..