Apparently there are indications it can affect cognition in dementia patients.
https://neurosciencenews.com/fecal-implants-alzheimers-20047…
It’s a very interesting study. Not in humans yet, but using mice, and fecal implants rather than pills. One group of mice were completely normal, but had been raised in a germ-free environment. The other mice had been modified with human genes that are associated with a high risk of Alzheimers. And the normal mice implanted with their poop developed early symptoms, eg, problems with recognizing objects, etc.
And their conclusion is that this may lead to a preventive therapy for people at risk for developing Alzheimers. As they say: “The study suggests possible avenues for forestalling dementia through targeted use of probiotics or fecal transplants.”
=sheila
Totally makes sense. This is apparently just the latest in a series of studies and findings about the importance of the micro biome overall, and with respect to brain function. The gut bacteria make serotonin and dopamine, among other things, which has implications for people with depression and for Parkinson’s patients.
Not neurotransmitter related, but I have a friend where a fecal transplant literally saved her life several years ago. She had recurrent c diff infections and was down to 60 pounds and in really bad shape. She’d had another health problem and the treatment caused the c diff issue. At first she couldn’t get the fecal transplant, but finally got approved through some study at Vanderbilt and she’s been great ever since. The results were pretty quick, as I recall. Now I think fecal transplant is almost the standard of care for c diff.
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