Stress co‐opts the gut to affect epileptogenesis. Commentary on “Facilitation of kindling epileptogenesis by chronic stress may be mediated by intestinal microbiome”

摘要

There is now a consensus that a gut microbiome‐brain axisexists that can profoundly affect neurological function.1Alterations in the gut bacterial composition have been shownto alter a number of neurological diseases in animal models,ranging from Parkinson's disease2 to various neuropsychiatricconditions.3 Gut microbiome composition can bealtered in various ways; in fact, it is increasingly likely thatthe effects of the ketogenic diet may involve alterations inthe gut microbiome.4 Chronic stress also alters the gut microbiome5 and this is now considered a likely mechanism forthe well‐known effects of stress on behavior and neurologicalfunction. Stress is also known to alter brain excitability, withchronic stress being pro‐epileptic.