The scientists at the University of East Anglia have said that a fecal transplant can help improve cognitive function in older people. This procedure is used to treat C. diff Infections in patients. Many experts have been studying gut bacteria and its effect on overall health. This new study has found that transplanting gut bacteria from a young subject to an older subject might be a promising way to treat certain dysfunction linked to gut bacteria. In a fecal transplant, experts acquire a stool sample from a healthy subject and transfer into an unhealthy one. However, this procedure might involve a certain amount of risk as well. On the other hand, transferring gut bacteria from an older subject to a younger object can lead to the worsening of memory and learning.
Experts have said that gut bacteria ages along with people and it keeps changing with time. Cognitive decline is prominent among older people. It is an inevitable consequence of getting old. With gut bacteria transplant, experts are trying to improve the cognitive decline in the aging population. It will help older people delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A new study has been done on mice. Experts have transplanted stool from older mice to younger mice. They have seen a significant negative impact on the cognitive function of younger rodents. The memory and spatial learning of rodents as well have decreased considerably. One of the authors of the study, Dr. David Vauzour has said that fetal transplant has affected the expression of proteins, which are responsible for key functions of the hippocampus. Hippocampus is a crucial part of the brain which plays an important role in several functions including memory, learning, spatial navigation, emotional behavior, and mood.
In the study, after transplanting gut bacteria from older rodents to younger ones, young rodents have started to behave like older ones. The findings of the study have shown that by reversing the procedure it will have an opposite effect. Scientists have said that transferring stool from younger mice to older ones, will cause a beneficial effect on cognitive function in older mice. Experts have said that health authorities need to conduct further studies to substantiate the findings of this new research.
