Language

English

Publication Date

9-27-2024

Journal

Genes

DOI

10.3390/genes15101263

PMID

39457387

PMCID

PMC11507344

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-27-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: A growing body of research supports the role of the microbial communities residing in the digestive system in the host's cognitive functioning. Most of these studies have been focused on the gut microbiome and its association with clinical phenotypes in middle-aged and older adults. There is an insufficiency of population-based research exploring the association of normative cognitive functioning with the microbiome particularly with the oral microbiota.

Methods: In this study, using metagenomics and metabolomics, we characterized the salivary microbiome diversity in a sample of 51 males of Hispanic and African American origin aged 12-18 years and explored the associations between the microbiome and the youths' cognitive performance captured with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II (KABC-II).

Results: Several bacterial species of the oral microbiota and related metabolic pathways were associated with cognitive function. In particular, we found negative associations between indicators of general intelligence and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lachnospiraceae and positive associations with Bifidobacteriaceae and Prevotella histicola sp. Among metabolic pathways, the super pathways related to bacterial cell division and GABA metabolism were linked to cognitive function.

Conclusions: The results of our work are consistent with the literature reporting on the association between microbiota and cognitive function and support further population work to elucidate the potential for a healthy oral microbiome to improve cognitive health.

Keywords

Humans, Male, Adolescent, Cognition, Mouth, Child, Microbiota, Saliva, Metagenomics, Bacteria

Published Open-Access

yes

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