Composition of gut microbiota could influence decision-making
Originally published by Marie Simon, Paris Brain Institute, on May 18, 2024 Commensal bacteria (red) among the mucus (green) and epithelial cells (blue) in a mouse small intestine. Credit: University of Chicago. The way we make decisions in a social context can be explained by p sychological, social, and political factors . But what if other forces were at work? Hilke Plassmann and her colleagues from the P aris Brain Institute and the University of Bonn show that changes in gut microbiota can influence our sensitivity to fairness and how we treat others. Their findings are published in the journal PNAS Nexus . The intestinal microbiota —i.e., all the bacteria, viruses and fungi that inhabit our digestive tract— plays a pivotal role in our bodies , well beyond digestive function. Recent research underscores its impact on cognition, stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and behavior ; mice raised in a sterile environment, for example, have difficulty interacting with other indi