According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), patients with SAD have altered gut bacteria that can damage their brain.
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) or social phobia is characterized by feelings of fear, anxiety, and difficulty in social circumstances, such as chatting to strangers or attending parties or gatherings. It is a debilitating psychological disease that can interrupt a person’s life and even interfere with daily routines. However, while phobias are commonly thought to be ‘all in your brain,’ a recent study suggests that social phobia may be in a person’s gut.
According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), patients with social anxiety disorder not only have altered gut microorganisms, but they can also affect their brain, paving the path for new therapeutic options.
What did the study discover?
Researchers believe that gut microorganisms may contribute to the extreme anxiety that certain people experience in social situations. They expanded on prior results indicating persons with social phobia have a different gut microbiome (a collection of bacteria and other organisms residing in our gastrointestinal tract) than those who do not.
Scientists implanted microorganisms from the stomachs of persons with SAD into mice and found increased sensitivity to social dread as well as changes in immunology and the brain.
While genetics, environment, and other factors can all play a role in diseases like SAD, according to John Cryan, a professor at the University College Cork in Ireland and co-author of the study, “the latest study explores the effect of our gut health.”
“The main point is we need to look after our microbes, especially throughout development and even in adulthood, to keep the social brain working appropriately,” Cryan was cited as saying by the Guardian.
The researchers in the study described how they collected fecal samples from six healthy persons and six people with SAD, and how DNA analysis confirmed that there was a significant difference between the samples gathered from the two groups.
The researchers then gave this sample to mice that had their microbiota killed by antibiotics. They were then subjected to a battery of tests to assess their sociability, social cognition, and stress-coping abilities.
What did the scientists discover?
Researchers discovered that mice given gut microbes from patients with SAD had higher quantities of three bacterial species in their feces than mice given gut germs from healthy people.
According to the study, mice with SAD faecal microbiota had little to no change in most of the tests, but exhibited distinct behavior following the social fear exercise.
Mice with healthy people’s gut microorganisms eventually regained their curiosity for other mice, whereas mice with SAD germs remained fearful of approaching others.
Scientists also observed differences in hormone and immune system levels between the two groups of mice. According to the study, “microbiota can play a causal role in heightened social fear responses in the disorder.”
According to Cryan, the data can be utilized to develop therapies for persons with SAD, such as dietary adjustments to alter the microbiome. “Increasing the amount of fibres and fermented foods in the diet may have beneficial effects,” the co-author of the study stated.