Shared from parkinsonsnewstoday.com.
Changes in the bacterial communities in the gut and mouth are associated with cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests.
Some oral bacteria and related virulence factors, such as molecules that help bacteria colonize the body — many of which can trigger a potent inflammatory response — were significantly enriched in the guts of Parkinson’s patients with cognitive impairment.
“Our findings suggest that promoting a healthy microbiome through consistent oral care, a balanced diet, and potentially targeted probiotic interventions could support improved disease management in Parkinson’s,” Saeed Shoaie, PhD, the study’s lead at King’s College London in the U.K., said in a university news story. The study, “Microbiome signatures of virulence in the oral-gut-brain axis influence Parkinson’s disease and cognitive decline pathophysiology,” was published in Gut Microbes.