Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40532867›Full record

ArticlePhysiology & behavior2025

Gut microbiome is associated with insula structure in neonates.

Michelle Graf, Nicolas Murgueitio, Margaret A Sheridan, Robert A Quinn, Alexander L Carlson, Sarah C Vogel, Martin A Styner, Ann M Alex, Rebecca L Stephens, Jeff Roach and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Physiology & behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Michelle GrafSchool of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Nursing, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: michgraf@unc.edu.
Nicolas MurgueitioDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: jnicolas@email.unc.edu.
Margaret A SheridanDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Robert A QuinnDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Alexander L CarlsonDepartment of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Sarah C VogelDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
Martin A StynerDepartment of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Ann M AlexInstitute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Rebecca L StephensDepartment of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Jeff RoachThe Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; UNC Microbiome Core, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Nicole SagarnagaFrank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
W Roger Mills-KoonceSchool of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
M Andrea Azcarate-PerilThe Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; UNC Microbiome Core, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Sarah J ShortDepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Rebecca C KnickmeyerInstitute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Cathi B PropperSchool of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Funding

UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CLINICAL NUTRITION RESEARCH UNITP30DK056350 · NIDDK · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Venkata Saroja Voruganti · 1999 to 2026
$31.6M
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY STUDIESP30DK034987 · NIDDK · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI ROBERT S. SANDLER · 1985 to 2026
$30.5M
INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTING &MANAGING CHRONIC ILLNESST32NR007091 · NINR · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Cheryl L Giscombe, Cathi Barbra Propper · 1996 to 2026
$11.8M
The Development of Gut Microbiota and Behavioral Inhibition in Childhood: The Role of Early Stress and Brain DevelopmentR01MH122526 · NIMH · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI KNICKMEYER, REBECCA, PROPPER, CATHI BARBRA · 2020 to 2024
$3.6M
A mechanistic study of the association between poverty and executive functions in early childhood: Contributions of early brain development and the early caregiving environmentR01HD091148 · NICHD · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI PROPPER, CATHI BARBRA, SHORT, SARAH J · 2018 to 2022
$3.4M
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD091148NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK034987NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK056350NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH122526NINR NIH HHS T32 NR007091
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The infant brain and gut microbiome both develop rapidly in early infancy. Growing evidence indicates that the gut microbiome plays a critical role in shaping neurodevelopment early in life, possibly through effects on brain regions involved in affective, interoceptive, and sensory processing. This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whole genome sequencing of fecal samples to examine associations between the gut microbiome and brain structures in infants at 2 weeks of age. We identified significant relationships between specific gut microbiome characteristics and brain volumes in key regions involved in affective, sensory, and interoceptive processing. Our most consistent findings were associations between gut microbiome and insula volume, suggesting that the insula may be particularly sensitive to gut microbiome influences during the neonatal period. Specifically, a significant negative association between insula volume and the abundance of Veillonella was observed. Alpha diversity (Shannon) and functional pathways were also related to insula structure. Enterobacter was negatively associated with thalamus volume. These findings contribute to the growing evidence of a developing gut-brain axis, highlighting links between the gut and brain as early as 2 weeks of age. Future research should investigate the mechanisms by which specific microbial features impact neurodevelopment by way of the insula, as well as explore the potential long-term implications of these early relationships on sensory, interoceptive, and affective processing, and behavioral outcomes.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal MicrobiomeInsular CortexFecesFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleAmygdalaInsulaMicrobiomeNeonateThalamus

Identifiers

PMID40532867
PMCPMC12410096

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.