Evidence mapPaperPMID 41305382Full record

ReviewPathogens (Basel, Switzerland)2025

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Autism: Associations, Causal Inference, and Interventions-A Narrative Review.

Zhiqiang Zhang, Wenkai Kang, Yu Mi, Xin Zhong, Yulong He

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing 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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. The Microbiota in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. 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

5 authors.

Zhiqiang ZhangTomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Wenkai KangTomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Yu MiTomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Xin ZhongTomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Yulong HeDigestive Diseases Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.

Funding

the Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology Grant No. LCYSSQ20220823091203008the Shenzhen Medical Research Fund Grant No. A2402008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is markedly heterogeneous and frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms that often correlate with behavioral phenotypes. Emerging evidence suggests that the microbiota-gut-brain axis may contribute to these associations through multiple bidirectional communication routes-including neural, immune, and endocrine pathways, as well as microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and tryptophan-kynurenine intermediates. This narrative review synthesizes clinical, mechanistic, and interventional evidence published between January 2010 and July 2025, clarifies the extent to which current data support association versus causation, evaluates key confounding factors, summarizes evidence for interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, and outlines future directions for precision research and targeted interventions based on functional pathways and stratified subgroups.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderBrainBrain-Gut AxisGastrointestinal MicrobiomeFecal Microbiota TransplantationHumansPrebioticsProbioticsPrebioticsautism spectrum disorderBrain–Gut AxisDigestivemetabolismmicrobiotaSigns and Symptoms

Identifiers

PMID41305382
PMCPMC12655048

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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 Socratic graph.