Open AccessMicrobiota links to neural dynamics supporting threat processing
Author(s) -
Hall Caitlin V.,
Harrison Ben J.,
Iyer Kartik K.,
Savage Hannah S.,
Zakrzewski Martha,
Simms Lisa A.,
RadfordSmith Graham,
Moran Rosalyn J.,
Cocchi Luca
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.25682
Subject(s) - neuroimaging , psychology , neural correlates of consciousness , anterior cingulate cortex , inference , cognition , neuroscience , biology , ruminococcus , insula , cognitive psychology , artificial intelligence , computer science , microbiome , bioinformatics
Abstract There is growing recognition that the composition of the gut microbiota influences behaviour, including responses to threat. The cognitive‐interoceptive appraisal of threat‐related stimuli relies on dynamic neural computations between the anterior insular (AIC) and the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) cortices. If, to what extent, and how microbial consortia influence the activity of this cortical threat processing circuitry is unclear. We addressed this question by combining a threat processing task, neuroimaging, 16S rRNA profiling and computational modelling in healthy participants. Results showed interactions between high‐level ecological indices with threat‐related AIC‐dACC neural dynamics. At finer taxonomic resolutions, the abundance of Ruminococcus was differentially linked to connectivity between, and activity within the AIC and dACC during threat updating. Functional inference analysis provides a strong rationale to motivate future investigations of microbiota‐derived metabolites in the observed relationship with threat‐related brain processes.