Ahead of Print

Abstract

In the last decade, science has proven the fundamental role that the gut microbiota plays in regulating the brain, cognition and behavior, both in childhood and adulthood.
The disturbance of the intestinal community homeostasis has a negative impact on the host’s health and can lead to several disorders, namely those related to neurodevelopment. In this context, probiotics seem to play an important role in the maintenance of enteric eubiosis, giving way to the emerging concept of psychobiotic as a potential new therapeutic weapon.
Psychobiotics are live cultures of beneficial gut bacteria (probiotics) or substrates from fibers (prebiotics) that enhance the growth and/or activity of indigenous beneficial intestinal bacteria, which can produce health benefits in individuals with psychiatric/neurological diseases.
In this article we begin by exploring the relationship between the brain and the gut, and then review the scientific evidence available for the use of psychobiotics in various neurodevelopmental disorders.