Brain, behavior, & immunity - health最新文献

{"title":"Modulating effects of environmental enrichment on stress-induced changes in the gut microbiome","authors":"Kevin B. Smith ,&nbsp;Michael Murack ,&nbsp;James Butcher ,&nbsp;Abby Hinterberger ,&nbsp;Alain Stintzi ,&nbsp;Jacky Liang ,&nbsp;Despina A. Tata ,&nbsp;Nafissa Ismail","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental enrichment (EE) involves adding non-standard stimuli, such as running wheels, mazes, and cage mates, to standard animal living conditions to facilitate physical activity, cognitive stimulation, and socialization. Interestingly, exposure to EE can modulate stress and immune responses. However, it is unclear whether housing environments can modulate the effects of stress on the gut microbiome. This study aimed to explore the effects of three different housing conditions—deprived (DH), social (SH), and enriched (EE)—on the central and peripheral immune responses, the HPA axis, and the gut microbiome in 180 male and female mice. Mice were housed in either the DH, SH, or EE condition for 3 weeks starting from post-natal day 21. At 6 weeks of age, during the pubertal stress-sensitive period, mice were treated with either saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin. Eight hours post-treatment, mice were euthanized, and brain, fecal samples, and trunk blood were collected to examine peripheral and central cytokine levels, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expressions, along with diversity in the gut microbiome. Contrary to expectations, EE and SH mice showed higher plasma concentrations of TNFα, IL6, and IL12 cytokines than DH mice following LPS treatment, with male mice exhibiting significantly higher levels of these cytokines than their female counterparts. Moreover, EE mice exhibited significantly greater hypothalamic and hippocampal expressions of GR and MR compared to DH mice. The gut microbiome analysis revealed sex-specific beta diversity patterns post-LPS treatment, with male EE and SH mice displaying a more diverse microbiome compared to female counterparts. These findings enhance our understanding of how housing conditions influence the acute immune and stress responses and modulate their effects on the gut microbiome during puberty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101023"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the effects of exercise on immune cell function and tumour infiltration in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy – a feasibility trial","authors":"Anna Ubink ,&nbsp;Marieke R. ten Tusscher ,&nbsp;Hans J. van der Vliet ,&nbsp;Joeri A.J. Douma ,&nbsp;Tanja D. de Gruijl ,&nbsp;Hetty Bontkes ,&nbsp;Petra Bonnet ,&nbsp;Diede van Ens ,&nbsp;Willemijn Hobo ,&nbsp;Harry Dolstra ,&nbsp;Ellis Barbé ,&nbsp;Susanne van der Velde ,&nbsp;Catharina Willemien Menke-van der Houven van Oordt ,&nbsp;Simone H.C. Havenith ,&nbsp;Annemarie Conijn-Mensink ,&nbsp;Annette A. van Zweeden ,&nbsp;Harm Westdorp ,&nbsp;Joannes F.M. Jacobs ,&nbsp;Laurien M. Buffart","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pre-clinical studies have shown that exercise can decrease tumour growth through mobilisation, activation, and increased tumour infiltration of natural killer (NK) and CD8⁺ T cells. It is currently unclear whether this can be extrapolated to patients. Therefore, a pilot study was set up to examine the feasibility of obtaining an additional study biopsy and to generate preliminary data on the potential effects of exercise on peripheral immune cell function and tumour immune infiltration. Twenty patients with stage I-III breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included (participation rate: 27%). Patients were randomised into the intervention group receiving a six-week supervised aerobic and resistance exercise program or the control group. Blood samples and tumour biopsies were collected before randomisation and after six weeks of chemotherapy. For 8 of 20 (40%) patients, we were able to obtain and analyse biopsies at diagnosis and six-week follow-up. This showed a decrease in CD56⁺ cells/mm² tumour tissue in the three patients of the control group, while it remained stable in most patients of the exercise group. Upon co-culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with K562 tumour cells, the exercise group showed increased expression of the degranulation marker CD107a on NK cells (β = 1038.5, 95%CI = 56.9; 2020.2, p = 0.04), and a trend towards increased tumour cell lysis <em>in vitro</em> (β = 18.8%, 95%CI = −3.9; 41.5, p = 0.10) compared to the control group. In conclusion, the study design was feasible with regard to the participation rate, however, revision is needed with regard to the use of a study-related biopsy prior to a sufficiently powered randomised controlled trial.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101021"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reduced SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-specific antibody response associated with high clozapine doses in schizophrenia spectrum disorders","authors":"Itziar Montalvo ,&nbsp;Juan Francisco Delgado ,&nbsp;Albert Rodrigo-Parés ,&nbsp;Teresa Sagués ,&nbsp;Antoni Berenguer-Llergo ,&nbsp;Raquel Rodríguez-González ,&nbsp;Indira Bhambi ,&nbsp;Patricia Pontón ,&nbsp;Germà Julià ,&nbsp;Virginia Soria ,&nbsp;Diego Palao ,&nbsp;Javier Labad","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Schizophrenia, affecting approximately 1 % of the population worldwide, is associated with increased mortality rates and a reduced life expectancy of 10–20 years. Approximately 30 % of cases are resistant to conventional antipsychotic treatments, necessitating the use of clozapine. Recent evidence suggests that clozapine exerts immunomodulatory effects, with individuals undergoing chronic clozapine treatment exhibiting immune profiles resembling primary immunodeficiencies.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate the immune response to vaccination with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine, compared to those receiving other antipsychotics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included 98 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, of whom 69 were treated with clozapine. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected for all participants. Anti-spike protein antibodies were measured using the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>No significant differences were observed in demographic, clinical, or laboratory parameters between the groups. Univariate analysis revealed that spike antibody levels were positively associated with smoking habits and more than two exposures to the virus, while they were negatively associated with the time elapsed since vaccination and clozapine dosage.</div><div>In multivariate analysis, patients receiving clozapine doses &gt;350 mg/day exhibited a significant reduction in anti-spike antibody levels compared to those not treated with clozapine (fold change = 0.49 [0.24–0.97], <em>p</em> = 0.041) and those receiving &lt;200 mg/day of clozapine (fold change = 0.39 [0.17–0.88], <em>p</em> = 0.024).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>High doses of clozapine (&gt;350 mg/day) in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders are associated with a diminished immune response to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein vaccination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101016"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of microbiota-gut-astrocyte axis perturbation in neurodegeneration, brain injury, and mood disorders","authors":"Daniel E. Radford-Smith,&nbsp;Katharine Oke,&nbsp;Carolina F.F.A. Costa,&nbsp;Daniel C. Anthony","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Astrocytes are essential for preserving homeostasis, maintaining the blood-brain barrier, and they are a key element of the tripartite neuronal synapse. Despite such multifaceted roles, their importance as contributors to the microbiota-gut-brain axis studies, which typically focus on microglia and neurons, has been largely overlooked. This meta-analysis provides the first systematic review of the microbiota-gut-astrocyte (MGA) axis <em>in vivo,</em> integrating findings across distinct neurological diseases.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic narrative review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines. The search term employed for PubMed was <em>“Microbiota\"[MeSH] AND (astrocyte OR glial) NOT (Review[Publication Type])</em> and for Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, <em>“Microbio∗ AND (astrocyte OR glial)”</em> with filters applied to exclude review articles. Searches were completed by May 9th^, 2024. Data extracted included study models, interventions, and outcomes related to astrocyte biology and rodent behaviour. SYRCLE's risk of bias tool was used to assess individual study designs.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>53 studies met the inclusion criteria, covering rodent models of stroke and traumatic (acute) brain injury, chronic neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and other heterogeneous models of cognitive impairment and affective disorders. Significant heterogeneity in methodology was observed between studies. Five studies had a high risk of bias, and 15 were low risk. Astrocyte biology, typically measured by GFAP expression, was increased in neurodegeneration and acute brain injury models but varied significantly in mood disorder models, depending on the source of stress. Common findings across diseases included altered gut microbiota, particularly an increased Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and compromised gut barrier integrity, linked to increased GFAP expression. Faecal microbiota transplants and microbial metabolite analyses suggested a direct impact of the gut microbiota on astrocyte biology and markers of neuroinflammation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This review and meta-analysis describes the impact of the gut microbiota on astrocyte biology, and argues that the MGA axis is a promising therapeutic target for neurological disorders. However, it is clear that our understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiota and astrocyte behaviour is incomplete, including how different subtypes of astrocytes may be affected. Future studies must adopt new, multi-dimensional studies of astrocyte function and dysfunction, to elucidate their role in disease and explore the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota modulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101013"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AMPK activation improves depression-like symptoms in olfactory bulbectomized mice by regulating microglia M1/M2 polarization in the hippocampus","authors":"Takayo Odaira-Satoh ,&nbsp;Osamu Nakagawasai ,&nbsp;Kohei Takahashi ,&nbsp;Masae Shimada ,&nbsp;Wataru Nemoto ,&nbsp;Koichi Tan-No","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several studies have reported that the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the central nervous system is involved in antidepressant-like effects. We recently demonstrated that AMPK activators like 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribonucleotide (AICAR) and liver hydrolysate containing an AMPK active ingredient can prevent depression-like behaviors in animal models of depression through enhanced cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). However, it remains unclear whether microglia are involved in the antidepressant effects of AICAR in olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice, which is a useful animal model of depression. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the mechanism of action of AICAR in OBX mice through various behavioral tests and immunohistochemical test. OBX mice exhibited depression-like behaviors in the tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), sucrose splash test (SST), and sucrose preference test (SPT). Immunohistochemical studies revealed decreased hippocampal neuronal cell survival and an imbalance in microglial M1/M2 polarization: increased M1-like phenotype and decreased M2-like phenotype. However, AICAR treatment for 3 weeks improved the OBX-induced prolonged immobility in the TST and FST and decreased grooming time and sucrose intake rate in the SST and SPT, respectively. Chronic AICAR administration also ameliorated the reduction in hippocampal neuronal cell survival and the imbalance in microglia polarization. Our results indicate that activated AMPK improves depression-like behavior by neuroprotection via the regulation of microglial polarity. Thus, AMPK activation offers potential therapeutic avenues for developing novel treatment strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101008"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-based prediction of anxiety disorders using blood metabolite and social trait data from the UK Biobank","authors":"Annabel Smith ,&nbsp;Jack J. Miller ,&nbsp;Daniel C. Anthony ,&nbsp;Daniel E. Radford-Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent type of mental health disorders and are characterised by excessive fear and worry. Despite affecting one in four individuals within their lifetime, there remains a gap in our understanding regarding the underlying pathophysiology of anxiety disorders, which limits the development of novel treatment options. Exploring blood-based biomarkers of anxiety disorder offers the potential to predict the risk of clinically significant anxiety in the general population, increase our understanding of anxiety pathophysiology, and to reveal options for preventative treatment. Here, using psychosocial variables in combination with blood and urine biomarkers, reported in the UK Biobank, we sought to predict future anxiety onset. Machine learning accurately predicted (ROC AUC: ∼0.83) ICD-10-coded anxiety diagnoses up to 5 years (mean 3.5 years) after blood sampling, against lifetime anxiety-free controls. Analysis of the blood biochemistry measures indicated that anxious individuals were more anaemic and exhibited higher levels of markers of systemic inflammation than controls. However, blood biomarkers alone were not predictive of resilience or susceptibility to anxiety disorders in a subset of individuals rigorously matched for a wide range of psychosocial covariates (ROC AUC: ∼0.50). Overall, we demonstrate that the integration of biological and psychosocial risk factors is an effective tool to screen for and predict anxiety disorder onset in the general population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101010"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"No relationship between inflammatory cytokines, heart rate variability, and morphology of the vagus nerves in patients with major depressive disorder","authors":"Erik Scheller ,&nbsp;Elise Böttcher ,&nbsp;Lisa Sofie Schreiber ,&nbsp;David Wozniak ,&nbsp;Frank M. Schmidt ,&nbsp;Johann Otto Pelz","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) often show of a low-grade inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines are assumed to be transmitted from the periphery to the brain, amongst others, via the vagus nerves (VN), which constitute a pivotal part of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. While functional aspects of the VNs (heart rate variability (HRV)) were extensively studied in patients with MDD, less is known about morphological alterations. Aim of this study was to examine the relationship between inflammatory cytokines, morphology, and function of the VNs in patients with MDD and healthy controls. Markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP)) were measured in 50 patients with MDD and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Inflammatory cytokines were correlated with sonographic characteristics of the VN (cross-sectional area and echogenicity) and with HRV at rest, during standing, and under slow paced breathing. Patients with MDD had significantly higher serum levels of IL-1 beta (0.17 ± 0.13 versus 0.09 ± 1.22 pg/ml, p &lt; 0.001) and of TNF-alpha (0.72 ± 0.23 versus 0.62 ± 0.22 pg/ml, p = 0.013), while levels of hsCRP (1.91 ± 3.02 versus 1.60 ± 2.24 mg/l) were similar between groups. There was a significant correlation between body mass index (BMI) and hsCRP, as well as HRV parameters at rest in all participants. Controlling for the BMI, we found no correlation between inflammatory cytokines, HRV, and morphology of the VNs in patients with MDD. Therefore, further studies are warranted to address the assumed relationship between inflammation, morphology, and function of the VNs in patients with MDD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101009"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NDD-ECHO: A standardised digital assessment tool to capture early life environmental and inflammatory factors for children with neurodevelopmental disorders","authors":"Shrujna Patel ,&nbsp;Velda X. Han ,&nbsp;Brooke A. Keating ,&nbsp;Hiroya Nishida ,&nbsp;Shekeeb Mohammad ,&nbsp;Hannah Jones ,&nbsp;Russell C. Dale","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette syndrome are highly prevalent in childhood and are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The maternal immune activation (MIA) hypothesis suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can increase the risk of NDDs in offspring. However, current practice focuses mainly on capturing family history of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Beyond this, capturing detailed early life environmental data in clinical settings remains challenging. To address this, we developed NDD-ECHO (Neurodevelopmental Disorders-Environmental and Clinical History Online), a standardised digital assessment tool designed to systematically collect maternal and child environmental histories, alongside neurodevelopmental symptom profiles. NDD-ECHO is designed to collaboratively collect information from caregivers with clinician input, covering family medical history, maternal pregnancy history and environmental exposures, child's environmental exposures (including infection) and child's diagnosis, clinical course, and function. The survey, built on the REDCap platform, was piloted in a cohort of 161 children with complex NDDs referred to a tertiary neurodevelopmental clinic. Our results demonstrate that nearly 80 % of children experienced loss of developmental skills, and many had symptom exacerbations triggered by infections or stress, supporting the role of environmental factors in NDD symptomatology. NDD-ECHO, available for free download via the REDCap Shared Library, has clinical and research applications, enabling standardised identification of environmental triggers and exploration of gene-environment interactions. This tool advances research by improving data collection on environmental risk factors and enhances personalised care for children with NDDs. Limitations include reliance on retrospective caregiver reports and the pilot cohort's specialised clinical setting, which may limit generalisability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101011"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The emerging role of microbiota derived SCFAs in neurodegenerative disorders","authors":"Samuel Wachamo ,&nbsp;Alban Gaultier","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), the bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders. Emerging research highlights how gut microbiota dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the microbial community, is linked to the etiology and pathology of these conditions. Microbiota dysbiosis leads to changes in the production of microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which can cross the intestinal barrier and influence the brain either directly or indirectly. Understanding the mechanisms by which dysfunction in the MGBA contributes to neurodegeneration opens potential avenues for novel therapeutic strategies, including microbiota-targeted interventions. This review introduces the MGBA, discusses the role of SCFAs within the MGBA in the context of neurodegenerative disorders, and suggests future research directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101012"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of a 10-week multimodal stress management and lifestyle modification program on stress response and immune function in Crohn’s disease: a mixed-methods approach using the Trier Social Stress Test","authors":"Özlem Öznur ,&nbsp;Sandra Utz ,&nbsp;Christoph Schlee ,&nbsp;Jost Langhorst","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One of the major factors for deterioration and relapse in inflammatory bowel diseases is chronic (psychological) stress. Aim of the present study was to compare the reaction of N = 33 patients with Crohn’s disease that either participated in a multimodal stress management and lifestyle modification program (n = 19) or not (n = 14) to the induction of acute stress after the day-clinic by using the validated instrument of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). A mixed-methods approach using self-reported stress perception (questionnaire, qualitative interviews), diary records, and blood samples was applied. Immune and endocrine measures of stress were collected before and repeatedly after stress exposure. Analysis of the blood samples indicated changes in leucocyte and platelet levels only in the intervention group. Differences in the reaction to acute stress might be explained by a significant reduction in perceived (chronic) stress levels in the intervention group compared to baseline (p = .004), whereas there was no change in the control group (p = .472). Diary records (during the day-clinic) showed a notable increase in the number of relaxation techniques (p &lt; .001) and meditative movements (p &gt; .001) performed in the intervention group compared to the control group. In the qualitative interviews (of the intervention group), patients reported a reduction in stress in their daily lives and in acute stressful situations as a result of using the newly learned specific stress management techniques. The observed improvements in stress management (questionnaire, qualitative interviews), indicated by the reduction in perceived stress, and immune function, suggested by the blood sample results, highlight the potential of integrating multimodal stress management and lifestyle changes into the treatment approach for Crohn’s disease patients. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and the multiple mechanisms underlying these observed changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101006"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}