Page 382 - Total War on PTSD

(IBS); all reflect a connection between the gut, the autonomic nervous system health, and the enteric nervous system that can initiate symptoms. More information is being collected with additional studies of the microbiome.
Through preliminary research there are fledgling connections being made between some mental illnesses and microbiome conditions. What are scientists finding in their preliminary investigations? According to Weir (2018), “People with gastrointestinal disorders have higher-than-average rates of neuropsychiatric problems such as bipolar disorder and depression,” she notes, “while people with schizophrenia often have blood markers that are suggestive of gastrointestinal inflammation. People with autism spectrum disorder have higher rates of gastrointestinal problems than the general population.”
Zimmer (2019) describes a current study on mice that creates dementia-like effects mimicking Alzheimer’s by experimenting with changing the bacteria in the gut. This study has honed in on possibly one chemical in the microbiome that could alter how immune cells work in the brain thus affecting the buildup of clumps of proteins that indicate dementia.
As researchers study stress-related pathology in mice and its relationship to beneficial bacteria, they induce a state of stress by creating a colony with a dominant aggressor mouse and subordinate mice. Weir (2018) tells us “Normally, subordinate mice in this situation show signs of anxiety and develop colitis, an inflammation of the colon.” These mice were injected with a bacterium shown to reduce inflammation. With this treatment, the mice showed lower levels of inflammation thus less submissive behaviors toward the dominant mouse, resulting in less anxiety and fear reactivity. The treatment prevented stress-induced colitis (Weir, 2018). Interestingly, one can see that when we feel subjectively or in reality that we are trapped in a situation where we are unable to express our aggression and instead, feel controlled, we develop serious symptoms of stress or PTSD.
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