Psychobiotics: The Potential Therapeutic Promise of Microbes in Psychiatry

Abstract

The brain and the gut are involved in continuous communication. This bidirectional interaction becomes apparent when the information about to the alterations in gastrointestinal function are transmitted to the brain, inducing the perception of visceral events such as nausea or pain. In turn, stressful experiences lead to a change in gastrointestinal secretions and motility16. This communication system involves neural, immune, and endocrine mechanisms. The gastrointestinal tract is the site of interaction between microorganisms, the body's largest concentration of immune cells, and a vast network of over 100 million neurons17