There is growing evidence showing a connection between Parkinson's disease—a neurodegenerative condition—and the composition of the microbiome of the gut. A new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows that Parkinson's disease, and medications to treat Parkinson's, have distinct effects on the composition of the trillions of bacteria that make up the gut microbiome.
The findings were published in February in
Movement Disorders, the journal of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
"Our study showed major disruption of the normal microbiome ¬— the organisms in the gut—in individuals with Parkinson's," said Haydeh Payami, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurology, in the UAB School of Medicine.
Payami says, at this point, researchers do not know which comes first. Does having Parkinson's cause changes in an individual's
gut microbiome, or are changes in the microbiome a predictor or early warning sign of Parkinson's? What is known is that the first signs of Parkinson's often arise as gastrointestinal symptoms such as inflammation or constipation.