ArticlePloS one2018
Correlation of tryptophan metabolites with connectivity of extended central reward network in healthy subjects.
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 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.
- Examining the Influence of the Human Gut Microbiota on Cognition and Stress: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Food addiction and psychiatric comorbidities: a review of current evidence.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2021Pooled it
- The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review.Translational psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- A protocol for the Teen Bugs study: An integrative, multi-omics approach to understanding the role of the gut microbiome and mesocorticolimbic system in adolescent mental health following early adverse caregiving.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- The Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Tryptophan Metabolism and Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Microbiome-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Tryptophan Metabolites in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Stool-Urine Multi-Omics Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Diet, mycobiome and virome: from mucosal immunity to gut-brain axis regulation.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Beneficial impacts of postbiotic components -- Crosstalk between gut and organs.Current research in food science · 2026Review
- Investigating the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Obesity: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2025Article
- A Role for the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A New Conceptual Model.The International journal of eating disorders · 2024Review
- The Contribution of the Brain-Gut Axis to the Human Reward System.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Feeding gut microbes to nourish the brain: unravelling the diet-microbiota-gut-brain axis.Nature metabolism · 2024Review
- Gut-Brain Axis: Investigating the Effects of Gut Health on Cognitive Functioning in Adults.Cureus · 2024Article
- Gut Microbiota Metabolite Messengers in Brain Function and Pathology at a View of Cell Type-Based Receptor and Enzyme Reaction.Biomolecules & therapeutics · 2024Review
- Microbiota-gut-brain axis in binge-eating disorder: Towards microbiome-based therapies.Neuroscience applied · 2024Review
- The Beneficial Effects of Dietary Interventions on Gut Microbiota-An Up-to-Date Critical Review and Future Perspectives.Nutrients · 2023Review
- Machine learning model to predict obesity using gut metabolite and brain microstructure data.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- A multi-omic brain gut microbiome signature differs between IBS subjects with different bowel habits.Neuropharmacology · 2023Review
- Influence of gut microbiota on resilience and its possible mechanisms.International journal of biological sciences · 2023Review
- Acupuncture ameliorates Mobile Phone Addiction with sleep disorders and restores salivary metabolites rhythm.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveA growing body of preclinical and clinical literature suggests that brain-gut-microbiota interactions play an important role in human health and disease, including hedonic food intake and obesity. We performed a tripartite network analysis based on graph theory to test the hypothesis that microbiota-derived fecal metabolites are associated with connectivity of key regions of the brain's extended reward network and clinical measures related to obesity.
methodsDTI and resting state fMRI imaging was obtained from 63 healthy subjects with and without elevated body mass index (BMI) (29 males and 34 females). Subjects submitted fecal samples, completed questionnaires to assess anxiety and food addiction, and BMI was recorded.
resultsThe study results demonstrate associations between fecal microbiota-derived indole metabolites (indole, indoleacetic acid, and skatole) with measures of functional and anatomical connectivity of the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and anterior insula, in addition to BMI, food addiction scores (YFAS) and anxiety symptom scores (HAD Anxiety).
conclusionsThe findings support the hypothesis that gut microbiota-derived indole metabolites may influence hedonic food intake and obesity by acting on the extended reward network, specifically the amygdala-nucleus accumbens circuit and the amygdala-anterior insula circuit. These cross sectional, data-driven results provide valuable information for future mechanistic studies.
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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.