Impact of Mental Health Medications on Gut Microbiota: Insights from Elderly Population
Dr. Susana Ruiz-Ruiz from FISABIO, Spain, will present a presentation entitled "Impact of Mental Health Medications on Gut Microbiota: Insights from Elderly Population".
Summary
Aging is associated with both mental health challenges and alterations in the gut and oral microbiota, with the gut-brain axis playing a key role in this interplay. This study investigated the influence of mental health medication on the microbiota of elderly individuals in the Valencian region of Spain. In a case–control design, fecal and saliva samples were collected from healthy volunteers over 65 years old. Among them, around 30% of individuals were taking antidepressants or medications for anxiety or insomnia (EE|MH group), while 70% served as controls without such medication (EE|NOMH group). Microbial composition was assessed using 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing. Significant differences were identified in the gut and oral microbiota between groups. Functional metagenomic analysis of fecal samples revealed differences in orthologous genes related to tryptophan metabolism-the precursor of serotonin and melatonin-and in categories linked to serine metabolism, a tryptophan precursor. Additionally, metabolic pathways showed significant inter-group differences, including those involved in longevity regulation, dopaminergic and serotonergic synapses, and amino acid metabolism. These findings highlight the impact of mental health medication on the microbiota composition and function in the elderly, particularly affecting pathways relevant to the gut-brain axis and neurotransmitter synthesis, which may influence mental health outcomes in this population.
About Dr. Susana Ruiz-Ruiz
Her professional career focused initially on the area of Molecular Biology, Virology and Microbiology, developed within internationally recognized prestigious centers. In the last six years, her research has evolved in the omics field of bacterial and viral communities associated with different human niches. Dr. Susana Ruiz-Ruiz has been involved in determining the window of normality of the microbiota for age groups, proposing the hypothesis that the microbiota is not coupled to the human host throughout its life. About the elderly, she observed a progressive decoupling with the aging of some taxa of the host microbiota, detecting in the intestinal microbiota the progressive decrease from childhood to elderly of essential products with relevance in what we could call "quality of life" in the old age. Their absence could determine frailty syndrome behaviors. She is also studying the relationship between microbiota and mental health disorders in older people with surprising results. She also intended to demonstrate the existence of a core of microbial taxa that are true mutualistic symbionts present throughout the host's life. Specifically, she has determined the universal presence throughout the life of species and genera that presumably have co-evolved with the human species. In recent years, Dr. Susana Ruiz-Ruiz has focused on the role of microbiota in different pathologies associated with aging, such as frailty, sarcopenia, among others.
