ArticleNature communications2021
Infant gut microbiome composition is associated with non-social fear behavior in a pilot study.
Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Microbiome dynamics in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis decoding the role of gut dysbiosis and potential dietary interventions.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Probiotics for the treatment of depression and its comorbidities: A systemic review.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Pooled it
- Microbes on the Mind: Multi-modal Neuroimaging Reveals Gut-Brain Axes in Infants.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- The Gut Microbiome in Early Ontogeny: Implications for Brain and Immune System Development.Journal of developmental biology · 2026Review
- From microbes to milestones: Gut bacterial abundances and functional pathways associate with neurodevelopment following preterm birth.Gut microbiology · 2026Article
- Fecal Microbiota Transplantation From Patients With Social Anxiety Disorder Is Associated With General Anxiety-Like Behavior and Gut Microbiota Alterations in Mice.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Bidirectional relations between the maternal and infant gut microbiome and behavior.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Infant subcortical brain volumes associated with maternal obesity and diabetes: a large multicohort human study.BMC medicine · 2026Article
- Gut microbiome community structure correlates with different behavioral phenotypes in the Belyaev Farm-Fox Experiment.Communications biology · 2026Article
- From Womb to Weaning: Microbial Signals That Shape the Developing Brain.Developmental neuroscience · 2026Review
- Longitudinal gut microbiota development from infancy to toddlerhood: a systematic review and platform-stratified meta-analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- Examining associations among caregiver stress, social support, and the infant gut microbiota.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Review
- Examining a Common Method of Measuring Infant Fear: Considering Temperament, Neurophysiology, Age, and Sex Differences.Developmental psychobiology · 2025Article
- Childhood gut microbiome is linked to internalizing symptoms at school age via the functional connectome.Nature communications · 2025Observational
- Gut microbiome is associated with insula structure in neonates.Physiology & behavior · 2025Article
- Longitudinal associations between the infant gut microbiome and negative affect in toddlerhood.Development and psychopathology · 2025Article
- Heavy metals, noradrenaline/adrenaline ratio, and microbiome-associated hormone precursor metabolites: biomarkers for social behaviour, ADHD symptoms, and executive function in children.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Functional Insights Into the Effect of Feralisation on the Gut Microbiota of Cats Worldwide.Molecular ecology · 2025Article
- The Interplay of Nutrition, the Gut Microbiota and Immunity and Its Contribution to Human Disease.Biomedicines · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Experimental manipulation of gut microbes in animal models alters fear behavior and relevant neurocircuitry. In humans, the first year of life is a key period for brain development, the emergence of fearfulness, and the establishment of the gut microbiome. Variation in the infant gut microbiome has previously been linked to cognitive development, but its relationship with fear behavior and neurocircuitry is unknown. In this pilot study of 34 infants, we find that 1-year gut microbiome composition (Weighted Unifrac; lower abundance of Bacteroides, increased abundance of Veillonella, Dialister, and Clostridiales) is significantly associated with increased fear behavior during a non-social fear paradigm. Infants with increased richness and reduced evenness of the 1-month microbiome also display increased non-social fear. This study indicates associations of the human infant gut microbiome with fear behavior and possible relationships with fear-related brain structures on the basis of a small cohort. As such, it represents an important step in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in the development of human fear behaviors, but requires further validation with a larger number of participants.
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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.