Research progress of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in autism spectrum disorder and treatment

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, and its prevalence has shown a sustained upward trend over the past two decades.Emerging evidence suggests a bidirectional regulatory mechanism between ASD-related behavioral manifestations and the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGB axis), with numerous studies reporting alterations in gut microbiota composition within this axis.This article reviews the therapeutic effects of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation on ASD at varying dosages and treatment durations.Post-intervention assessments using standardized scales, including the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and Autism Behavior Checklist-Japanese Version (ABC-J), demonstrated symptomatic improvements in individuals with ASD.However, all four interventions share limitations, such as a lack of large-scale clinical data and inadequate personalization of dosage and treatment duration to address the heterogeneity of ASD patients.Future research is warranted to validate the efficacy of these microbiota-targeted interventions and optimize treatment protocols for broader clinical application.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorder / microbiota-gut-brain axis / fecal microbiota transplantation / treatment