Gut-Microbiota as a Therapeutic Intervention for Cognitive Damage

Elderly mortality is significantly influenced by cognitive impairment. The dysregulation of the gut microbiota is believed to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal and extraintestinal disorders, and it is showing signs of evolving into a significant disease-controlling factor. Through the increasingly well-defined gut microbiota–brain axis (GMBA), an altered gut microbiome (GM) has more recently been linked to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is known that the gut microbiota yields vitamins, intestinal toxins, and neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin as well as modulates nerve signaling, with a focus on the vagus nerve. Furthermore, gut dysbiosis impairs the synthesis of signaling proteins, which impacts metabolic processes important for the onset of AD. Corrections made to the gut microflora composition may have a pleiotropic effect on dementia pathology because the gut microbiota has numerous connections to important metabolic and inflammatory pathways. In this book chapter, we provide a brief overview of the function of GM homeostasis in both diseased and healthy brains. On the foundation of these findings, we proceed to discuss how dysbiosis might be used as a new diagnostic tool in both early and advanced disease stages. This book chapter explores the potential of gut dysbiosis as a diagnostic tool for cognitive decline, and examines dietary modifications, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as promising therapeutic interventions for these disorders.