Fecal microbiota transplants as adjunctive therapy for major depressive disorder
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mood disorder that affects 280 million people globally. Current treatments for depression, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, may have unwelcome side effects or may not ameliorate symptoms in cases of refractory depression and, thus, warrant the need for new and effective treatments or adjuncts. Research in the last decade has further explored the pathophysiology of MDD and the potential role of the Gut Brain Axis in depressive symptoms. Those clinically diagnosed with depression have been found to have differing microbiome compositions than those of healthy patients. Some preliminary studies have found that transplanting stool samples from healthy subjects into those with a dysfunctional gut microbiome have resulted in reduced depressive symptoms.
Description
2024