Imagine your body as a futuristic television show, with different channels representing different aspects of your health. Well my friends, it seems that one channel in particular, the gut microbiota channel, might have some say in the severity of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms! Scientists have been investigating the relationship between PD and microbiota, those trillions of microorganisms residing in our gut. They’ve discovered that PD patients tend to have a different composition of microbes in their gut compared to healthy individuals. What’s even more fascinating is that these changes seem to be linked to the presentation of PD symptoms, both the ones affecting movement (motor) and the ones not related to movement (non-motor). It’s like our little microbial friends are pulling strings behind the scenes! Could it be that certain byproducts produced by these gut microbes are somehow influencing the development and progression of PD? Is there a deeper connection between what’s happening in our gut and what’s happening in our brain? The hunt for answers continues! But fear not, dear reader, for this scientific inquiry holds the promise of improving clinical practice and advancing therapy for PD. So, dig into the research linked below and dive into the mysteries of the gut-brain axis!

IntroductionParkinson’s disease (PD) is neurodegenerative disease with a multifactorial etiopathogenesis with accumulating evidence identifying microbiota as a potential factor in the earliest, prodromal phases of the disease. Previous research has already shown a significant difference between gut microbiota composition in PD patients as opposed to healthy controls, with a growing number of studies correlating gut microbiota changes with the clinical presentation of the disease in later stages, through various motor and non-motor symptoms. Our aim in this systematic review is to compose and assess current knowledge in the field and determine if the findings could influence future clinical practice as well as therapy in PD.MethodsWe have conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines through MEDLINE and Embase databases, with studies being selected for inclusion via a set inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results20 studies were included in this systematic review according to the selected inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search yielded 18 case control studies, 1 case study, and 1 prospective case study with no controls. The total number of PD patients encompassed in the studies cited in this review is 1,511.ConclusionThe link between gut microbiota and neurodegeneration is a complex one and it depends on various factors. The relative abundance of various microbiota taxa in the gut has been consistently shown to have a correlation with motor and non-motor symptom severity. The answer could lie in the products of gut microbiota metabolism which have also been linked to PD. Further research is thus warranted in the field, with a focus on the metabolic function of gut microbiota in relation to motor and non-motor symptoms.

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