Ongoing clinical and research priorities in psychiatry are identifying and leveraging factors that influence illness trajectory and outcome. With depressive disorders as the leading source of disability globally, the identification of new targets for prevention and management is imperative. A rapidly emerging field of research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial relevance to mood and behavior. The evolving concept of a microbiota-gut-brain axis indicates that modulation of the gut microbiota may provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment and/or prevention of mood and anxiety disorders. This session will describe the association between dysfunction of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and stress-related disorders (ie, depression, anxiety disorders, and irritable bowl syndrome) and neurodevelopmental disorders (ie, austism spectrum disorders). Dr. Scheiderer will discuss how to utilize prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, fecal transplants, and dietary changes to manipulate gut microbiota, as well as provide insight on when, how, and in which patients to incorporate gut strategies for the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric illness.
