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Health

First evidence that gut bacteria help wire young brains

By Clare Wilson

22 June 2018

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

“Friendly” bacteria like Bifidobacterium could play a role in brain development

DENNIS KUNKEL MICROSCOPY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

A lack of “good bacteria” in childhood could be permanently changing the way the brain is wired up – at least if they affect people the same way they do mice.

Changes in our gut bacteria have been implicated in several mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression, but it’s unclear whether these differences actually cause the problems or are knock-on effects. Now a lack of certain bacteria has been found to cause faulty patterns of connections between brain cells in rodents.

The…

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