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Description
Bean, Corbin, & MacEachern Fatigue, Behaviour, and the Microbiome
Embracing Complexity: Exploring the connections between chronic fatigue, behaviour, and
gut microbiome dysbiosis in children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), which include intellectual disability and autism, represent
the largest identifiable subpopulation of children with disabilities in North America. Up to 80% of
children with NDDs exhibit behaviours of concern, which are abnormal behaviours such as
aggression and self-injury that threaten the safety of a child or those around them, and limit the
child’s ability to participate in typical activities such as attending school or community facilities.1
These behaviours are associated with reduced quality of life for the child and their family and
consume a disproportionate amount of health resources.
Despite their prevalence and significant impact on pediatric patients and their families, the
underlying cause of behaviours of concern can be difficult to elucidate and treatments are limited.
This is due in part to the neurodevelopmental complexity of these patients. Both chronic fatigue and
gut microbiome dysbiosis are promising emerging, cutting-edge modifiable risk factors for
behaviours of concern. Chronic fatigue, which is defined as fatigue persisting for greater than six
months, impacts most children with NDDs and exacerbates the frequency and duration of
behaviours of concern.2 Gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders
and has been linked to behaviours of concern.3 In a recent study (2023), it was shown that
neurotypical adults with chronic fatigue exhibit extensive gut microbiome dysbiosis related to
differences in species abundance, function, and ecological interactions.4 However, the relationship
between chronic fatigue and gut microbiome dysbiosis has not been explored in children with
NDDs who have behaviours of concern. Further elucidation of this yet unexplored link could lead
to improved understanding of the causes of behaviours of
concern and identify novel potential treatment targets. We
theorize that a major contributing factor to our limited
understanding and treatment of behaviours of concern in
children with NDDs is that most prior research has
ignored complexity in favour of simplicity. These highly
complex and disparate areas of science are actually
inexorably linked, and have not been well-served by
overly reductionist approaches. We will test the
hypothesis that chronic fatigue and behaviours of
concern are intimately connected with gut microbiome
dysbiosis in children with NDDs (Figure 1). We aim to
identify correlations between chronic fatigue and degree
of gut microbiome dysbiosis in children with NDDs who have behaviours of concern.
Status | Active |
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Effective start/end date | 8/1/23 → 7/31/25 |
Funding
- Research Corporation for Science Advancement: $55,000.00
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