Changes in the gut bacteria (microbiome) brought on by stress could make people more likely to develop depression, a new study suggests.
“Researchers have known for some time that stress can trigger changes in the trillions of microbes, including bacteria, that live in our gut,” says Dr. Marie-Claude Audet, a researcher at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR) who led the study. “We also know that the gut may communicate with the brain and influence behavior and mood, but we still don’t fully understand how this happens.”
The study, published last month in the scientific journal, “Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity”, shows that exposure to stress reduced levels of some ‘healthy’ bacteria and increased levels of potentially harmful bacteria in the gut. Furthermore, these changes were associated with increased depressive symptoms. This suggests that an imbalance between healthy and unhealthy gut bacteria, caused by stress, could potentially increase a person’s vulnerability to depression.
“If we can identify changes in gut bacteria before depressive symptoms start, and develop treatment options that target those bacteria, we may be able to alter the course of depression or even prevent depressive symptoms from manifesting themselves in the first place,” says Dr. Audet.
When asked about the potential impact of these findings for clinicians and patients, Dr. Audet says, “Current antidepressants are basically treating the symptoms of depression but not the cause. Could treating the microbiome make people feel better when they are suffering from depression? Are probiotics, prebiotics or even specific diets combined with antidepressants the answer? We don’t know the answers to those questions. That’s why we need more research.”
Through a new study underway at The Royal’s IMHR, Dr. Audet is looking at the microbiome of people who’ve experienced trauma at an early age compared to people who haven’t. She is hoping to see “if there are differences in microbiome between the two groups and if these differences are related to the presence of depressive symptoms.”
“Imagine being able to prevent or reduce symptoms of depression in some people, by treating your gut microbiome,” she says. “There’s still a lot we don’t know, but based on preliminary research, it is not unrealistic to think it could be possible someday.”
To find out more about this research study at the Royal’s IMHR, contact: Carley Richards at 613-722-6521 ext. 7052 or carley.richards@theroyal.ca