Can Bacteria in the Mouth Predict Cognitive Decline in People with Parkinson's Disease? Study Finds Out
New Delhi: A new study published in Gut Microbes by researchers at King's College London has uncovered a connection between oral and gut bacteria and the progression of cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease. The findings suggest that specific changes in the microbiome-he community of bacteria in the body—may serve as early warning signs of dementia, a common and distressing symptom in Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose in its early stages, as symptoms like memory issues and movement problems develop slowly over time.
Led by Dr. Saeed Shoaie, group leader of the Quantitative Systems Biology Lab at King’s College London, the study analysed 228 stool and saliva samples from individuals at different stages of Parkinson’s. These included patients with mild cognitive impairment, patients with dementia, and a control group without Parkinson’s. “The human gut and oral bacterial communities are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases,” Dr. Shoaie noted. “Disruptions in the gut-brain axis could trigger inflammation and immune responses that contribute to neuronal damage.”
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