| Cohort1 | Cohort2 | Cohort3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADHD | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Control | 6 | 5 | 3 |
A Brief Introduction to Tengeler2020
Tengeler2020
Tengeler2020 is a randomised blinded study on the effects of gut microbiome on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in humanised mice (Tengeler et al. 2020).
Young, male, germ-free C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice (n = 27) were humanised with gut microbiome from either ADHD patients (n = 3) or healthy controls (n = 3) of matched age. Notably, the mice belonged to three different cohorts.
Research Question
Given its developmental importance and its association with several psichiatric disorders, does the gut microbiome alter brain structure, function or behaviour in ADHD?
Study Design
Microbiome data was obtained by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterial DNA sampled from faecal pellet on a weekly basis. Then, sequence reads were assembled into Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) with an NG-Tax pipeline.
In addition to microbiome analysis, during the experimental period mice underwent multiple behavioural tests (OFT, MBT and NOR) and neurophysiological measurements (MRI and perfusion), creating the opportunity to perform a multiomic analysis.
Community Diversity
The profile of the ADHD-related microbiome community showed minor differences from the control in terms of alpha diversity, but the two groups could be distinguished in terms of beta diversity.
Correlation Analysis
Some taxa were significantly correlated with neurobiological features.
Brain and Behaviour
Compared to healthy mice, ADHD mice exhibited more anxiety in OFT and less functional connectivity in the right visuomotor system.
