Mounting scientific evidence supports a strong association between the gut microbiome and brain function, including cognition and dementia. Because antibiotic use has significant impacts on bacterial communities in the gut, scientists set out to investigate the link between antibiotic use and cognition in a study published in PLoS One.
In a retrospective cohort study (one that looks back at existing data from a group of people to compare outcomes) of about 14,500 middle aged women, researchers used neuropsychological testing to determine that women who had more than 2 months of cumulative antibiotic exposure in midlife experienced lower cognitive function years later when they were reassessed. Specifically, researchers found that 2+ months of midlife antibiotic exposure was equivalent to 3 to 4 years of cognitive aging beyond the participant’s normal age. Parameters tested included psychomotor speed, attention, learning, and working memory.
While medications like antibiotics can be lifesaving in some situations, they’re also widely over-prescribed, and as this study illustrates, judicious use is vital for gut, brain, and overall health. And if antibiotics have significant impacts on cognition because of disruption of the gut microbiome, could other microbiome-altering medications like proton-pump inhibitors, laxatives, and anti-depressants also negatively affect cognition? In time, we hope to have more answers, but right now, based on the findings from this study, asking lots of questions to determine whether the antibiotic you’ve been prescribed is absolutely necessary is an important step. Check out Episode 42 on The Gutbliss Podcast, 10 Questions To Ask Before Taking An Antibiotic for details on exactly what questions you should be asking.
