| Growing evidence supports the idea that there is a link between gut bacteria and cognitive function. Previously, Medical News Today has reported on how irritable bowel syndrome may impair communication along the gut-brain axis and raise the risk of anxiety and depression in people with the condition. Now, new research points to how chronic use of antibiotics may affect cognitive function by disturbing the delicate link between the gut and the brain. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed responses from 15,129 nurses who completed a health questionnaire in 2009. The data included information about each participant’s use of antibiotics over the preceding 4 years. Each nurse had also completed a computerized cognitive health assessment, so the researchers were able to detect links between exposure to antibiotics and performance on this test. After adjusting for age and education, the researchers noticed that the participants who had taken antibiotics for 2 months or longer showed small decreases in their scores for psychomotor speed, attention, working memory, and learning. These scores usually decrease with age alone, but the researchers found that “the relation of antibiotic use to cognition was roughly equivalent to that found for 3–4 years of aging.” The study indicates that cognitive decline might be slowed by modifying the gut microbiome, perhaps through the use of probiotic supplementation. Additionally, the researchers note that their study “underscores the importance of judicious use of antibiotics […] to minimize potential long-term consequences of altering the gut microbiome.” To learn more about this study and the role of the gut-brain axis in cognition and mental health, jump to “Antibiotics and cognitive decline: Is there a link?” Also this week, MNT reported on how a supplement called GlyNAC, which extends lifespan in mice, may also slow aging in humans. We also have news of a new cancer treatment that destroys tumors in mice in less than 1 week, plus an overview of the impact of the pandemic on mental health around the world. Tim Snaith Newsletter Editor, Medical News Today |
MNT’s Sunday Supplement: Can chronic antibiotic use cause cognitive decline?
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