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MICROBIOME

Diet underlying autism–microbiome association

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 20, page 63 (2022)Cite this article

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been linked to changes in the gut microbiome in several studies, although underlying mechanisms are unclear. Yap et al. performed a stool metagenomics study in 247 children, including children with ASD, healthy siblings and unrelated healthy controls. They carefully controlled for confounders and, in contrast to previous studies, found little association between ASD diagnosis and microbiome changes. Instead, ASD was associated with a restricted diet, which, in turn, was associated with a less diverse microbiome. The authors conclude that behavioural changes in individuals with ASD influence their dietary preferences and that microbiome changes are largely secondary effects of these dietary differences. The study thus questions a causal link between microbiome changes and the development of ASD.

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  • Morais, L. H. et al. The gut microbiota–brain axis in behaviour and brain disorders. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 19, 241–255 (2021)

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  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/

    Ursula Hofer

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  1. Ursula Hofer
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Correspondence to Ursula Hofer.

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Hofer, U. Diet underlying autism–microbiome association. Nat Rev Microbiol 20, 63 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00670-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00670-0

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