ArticlePloS one2018
Microbiota influence the development of the brain and behaviors in C57BL/6J mice.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 93 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
93 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 151 citations in OpenAlex.
- Enterochromaffin Cells: Sentinels to Gut Microbiota in Hyperalgesia?Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of the antibiotic rifaximin on cortical functional connectivity are mediated through insular cortex.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Probiotic supplementation promotes bone development, immune maturation, and cognitive function in growing mice.Journal of the science of food and agriculture · 2026Article
- Gut microbiome alterations are sex-dependently associated with brain abnormalities in a mouse model of Neurofibromatosis type I.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Sex-specific gut mycobiome dysbiosis activates macrophage dectin-1 signaling to drive neurobehavioral deficits in EcoHIV-infected mice.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
- Maternal and infant gut microbiome.iMeta · 2026Review
- The Role of Polyphenols on Cognitive Function and Dementia Through Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis Modulation: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Gut-Brain Connection: Deciphering Causal Pathways Between Gut Microbiota and Neuroimaging Profiles Through Mendelian Randomization.Food science & nutrition · 2026Article
- Effects of combined prenatal exposure to air pollution and maternal stress on social behavior and oxytocin and vasopressin systems in male and female mice.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2026Article
- Role of oral-gut microbiota dysbiosis in regulating systemic impairment during age-related obesity: an animal study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- RhoA/ROCK signaling as a potential convergent pathway in microbiota-gut-brain axis-related cognitive impairment.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Review
- Demyelination and Cognitive Performance in Long COVID Patients with Insomnia and/or Depression.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Early-life gut microbiome maturity regulates blood-brain barrier and cognitive development.Gut microbes · 2025Article
- Unraveling the connection between the Mediterranean diet and sleep health: from biological mechanisms to clinical implications.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2025Review
- Effects of combined prenatal exposure to air pollution and maternal stress on social behavior and oxytocin and vasopressin systems in male and female mice.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Bidirectional crosstalk between the gut microbiota and cellular compartments of brain: Implications for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.Translational psychiatry · 2025Review
- Gut microbiota and brain-resident CD4Nature communications · 2025Article
- Article
- Interactions of the maternal microbiome with diet, stress, and infection influence fetal development.The FEBS journal · 2025Review
- Microbial metabolites tune amygdala neuronal hyperexcitability and anxiety-linked behaviors.EMBO molecular medicine · 2025Article
33 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
We investigated the contributions of commensal bacteria to brain structural maturation by magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests in four and 12 weeks old C57BL/6J specific pathogen free (SPF) and germ free (GF) mice. SPF mice had increased volumes and fractional anisotropy in major gray and white matter areas and higher levels of myelination in total brain, major white and grey matter structures at either four or 12 weeks of age, demonstrating better brain maturation and organization. In open field test, SPF mice had better mobility and were less anxious than GF at four weeks. In Morris water maze, SPF mice demonstrated better spatial and learning memory than GF mice at 12 weeks. In fear conditioning, SPF mice had better contextual memory than GF mice at 12 weeks. In three chamber social test, SPF mice demonstrated better social novelty than GF mice at 12 weeks. Our data demonstrate numerous significant differences in morphological brain organization and behaviors between SPF and GF mice. This suggests that commensal bacteria are necessary for normal morphological development and maturation in the grey and white matter of the brain regions with implications for behavioral outcomes such as locomotion and cognitive functions.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.