AUTHOR=Zhang Shujun , Xu Xiaotao , Li Qian , Chen Jingyao , Liu Siyu , Zhao Wenming , Cai Huanhuan , Zhu Jiajia , Yu Yongqiang 

TITLE=Brain Network Topology and Structural–Functional Connectivity Coupling Mediate the Association Between Gut Microbiota and Cognition

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.814477

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2022.814477

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=Increasing evidences indicated gut microbiota can influence cognition via the gut-brain axis, and brain networks play a critical role during the process. However, little is known about how brain network topology and structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling contribute to the gut microbiota-cognition. Fecal samples were collected from 157 healthy young adults and 16S amplicon sequencing was used to assess gut diversity and enterotypes. Topological properties of brain structural and functional networks were acquired by diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state fMRI data and further calculated the SC-FC coupling. 3-back, digit span, and Go/No-Go tasks were employed to assess cognition. Then, we tested for potential associations between gut microbiota, complex brain networks and cognition. Results showed that gut microbiota could affect the global and regional topological properties of structural networks, as well as node properties of functional networks. Of note, causal mediation analysis further validated that gut microbial diversity and enterotypes indirectly influence the cognitive performance by mediation of the small-worldness (Gamma and Sigma) of structure networks and some nodal metrics of functional networks (mainly distributed in cingulate gyri and temporal lobe). Specifically, gut microbes could affect the degree of SC-FC coupling in inferior occipital gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus, medial, which in turn influence the cognition. Our findings revealed novel insights, which are essential to provide the foundation for previously unexplored network mechanism in understanding cognitive impairment, particularly with respect to how the brain connectivity participates in the complex cross-talk between gut microbiota and cognition.