Gastrointestinal disorders in children could signal future mental health problems

A Columbia University study found that early life adversity is badociated with an increase in gastrointestinal symptoms in children, likely to affect the brain and behavior. as they reach maturity.

The study was published online March 28 in the journal Development and psychopathology.

"Bowel complaints are one of the most common reasons why children show up in doctor's offices," said Nim Tottenham, professor of psychology at Columbia and lead author of the study. "Our results indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms in young children could be an alarm signal for primary care physicians in the event of future emotional health problems."

Scientists have long noted the close connection that existed between the intestine and the brain. Previous research has shown that a history of trauma or abuse has been reported in almost half of adults with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with a prevalence twice as high as that of patients without IBS.

"The role of trauma in increasing vulnerability to both gastrointestinal and mental health symptoms is well established in adults but rarely studied in childhood," said the author Principal of the study, Bridget Callaghan, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychology of Columbia. In addition, studies in animals have shown that changes in the intestinal microbiome induced by adversity – the bacterial community in the body that regulates everything from digestion to immune system function – have an influence on neurodevelopment, but no human study has shown it.

"Our study is one of the first to establish a link between the disturbance of a child's gastrointestinal microbiome, caused by the adversity of early childhood and brain activity in children. regions badociated with emotional health, "said Callaghan.

Researchers have focused on the development of children experiencing extreme psychosocial deprivation as a result of institutional care prior to intercountry adoption. The separation of a child from a parent is known to be a powerful predictor of mental health problems in humans. This experience, when modeled in rodents, induces fear and anxiety, impedes neurodevelopment and alters microbial communities throughout life.

The researchers drew data from 115 adopted children from orphanages or foster families around or about age 2, and 229 children raised by a biological care provider. Children who had past interruptions of care experienced higher levels of symptoms, including stomach upset, constipation, vomiting and nausea.

From this sample of adoptees, the researchers then selected eight participants aged 7 to 13 years in the group exposed to adversity and eight others belonging to the group raised by their biological parents. Tottenham and Callaghan collected behavioral information, stool samples and brain images of all the children. They used gene sequencing to identify the microbes present in the stool samples and examined the abundance and diversity of bacteria present in the feces of each participant.

Children with a history of early disruptions in caregiving had a gut microbiome that was distinctly different from those raised with organic care providers from birth. Brain tests of all children also showed that patterns of brain activity correlated with certain bacteria. For example, children raised by their parents had an increased diversity of intestinal microbiomes, which is linked to the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain known to help regulate emotions.

"It is too early to say anything conclusive, but our study indicates that changes in the intestinal microbiome badociated with adversity are related to brain function, including differences in brain regions badociated with treatment emotions, "says Tottenham, expert in emotion development.

Additional research is needed, but Tottenham and Callaghan believe their study helps to fill an important gap in the literature.

"Animal studies tell us that dietary interventions and probiotics can manipulate the gut microbiome and mitigate the effects of adversity on the central nervous system, particularly during the first years of life, when the developing brain and microbiome are more plastic, "said Callaghan. "It is possible that this type of research helps us know if and how best to intervene in humans, and when."

Callaghan and Tottenham are currently working on a larger-scale study with 60 children in New York City to see if their findings can be replicated. They are expecting results later this year.

Provided by
Columbia University