Study in Keralam sheds light on link between gut bacteria, Parkinson’s disease

The researchers found higher levels of bacteria potentially associated with inflammation and lower levels of beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which help maintain the gut lining healthy and regulate the immune system, in Parkinson’s patients. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Trillions of bacteria living in the human gut may play a role in Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement, according to a new study involving patients from Keralam.

Researchers from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, found significant differences between the gut bacteria of Parkinson’s patients and those of healthy individuals. The findings were published online in npj Parkinson’s Disease, an international scientific journal.

Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement, gradually die. Scientists have long suspected that the gut and brain communicate continuously, and that an imbalance in gut bacteria could contribute to inflammation affecting the brain. Studies have shown that non-motor symptoms, including constipation and other gastrointestinal problems, can appear years before the tremors begin in Parkinson’s patients.