The gut-brain axis in individuals with alcohol use disorder: An exploratory study of associations among clinical symptoms, brain morphometry, and the gut microbiome
Abstract
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is commonly associated with distressing psychological clinical symptoms. Pathologic changes associated with AUD have been described in both the gut microbiome and brain, but exact mechanisms underlying gut-brain signaling in individuals with AUD are unknown. This study examined associations between the gut microbiome, brain morphometry, and clinical symptoms in treatment-seeking individuals with AUD. Methods: A secondary analysis of data collection during inpatient treatment for AUD was performed in subjects who had gut microbiome samples and structural MRIs (n=16). Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed, and morphometry of brain regions of interest were calculated. Clinical symptom severity was quantified using validated instruments. Gut brain modules (GBMs) used to infer neuroactive signaling potential from the gut microbiome were generated in addition to microbiome features such as alpha diversity and bacterial taxa abundance. Bivariate correlations were performed between MRI and clinical features, microbiome and clinical features, and MRI and microbiome features, respectively. Results: Amygdala volume was significantly associated with alpha diversity and the abundance of several bacteria including taxa classified to Blautia, Ruminococcus, Bacteroides and Phocaeicola. There were moderate associations between amygdala volume and GBMs including butyrate synthesis I, glutamate synthesis I, and GABA synthesis I & II, but these…
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