Gut-brain interactions in Autism: A multi-modal investigation of the brain, bacteria and behavior

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by socio-communicative difficulties and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Aside these core ASD symptoms, there is an extremely high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in this population, but to date, its etiology remains poorly understood. Initial research points toward altered compositions of microbiota in the GI tract of individuals with ASD, as well as dysregulations of central and autonomous nervous system output impacting GI function. More in-depth explorations are needed however, into the role of gut-brain interactions in GI problems and core ASD symptomology. The current project involves a multi-modal characterization of schoolaged children with ASD (8-12 years) and matched healthy control children, involving the assessment and mutual interactions among distinct parameters of the neural ‘connectome’ (central autonomic networks); the gut ‘microbiome’ and the behavioral ‘phenome’ (GI problems, ASD symptom severity, stress, anxiety). The combined assessment of neural connectomes and characterizations of microbiome compositions from the same children with ASD is highly innovative and will allow gaining unique insights into the role of altered gut-brain axis interactions in GI symptomology, as well as to the core and comorbid symptomology of ASD. These insights will allow identifying novel targets for improving diagnostic and new therapeutic approaches for ASD.