Traces of psychopathy can be associated with the intestine? Science explains

Um study of the Institute of Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto suggests the existence of a link between traces of psychopathy and bacteria of the intestine and mouth, was today published.

In a statement, i3S explains that scientists worked with a sample of the population that allowed them to identify associations between bacteria present in the intestine and mouth and “substances produced by the organism associated with impulsiveness, emotional coldness and antisocial behavior”.

“ The results show that certain intestinal and oral bacteria are associated with traces of psychopathy in the community, suggesting that microorganisms in the body may be related to processes related to emotions and social behavior,” says Carolina Costa, the first author of the study developed in the field of PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS).

The authors stress that the study “does not demonstrate a cause and effect relationship”, but contributes “to the growing evidence that there is a relationship between the microorganisms of the intestine and the oral cavity and the functioning of the brain, with potential impact on emotions and behavior”.

“We cannot say that bacteria cause traces of psychopathy, but we observed a relationship between certain oral and intestinal bacterial profiles and specific behavioral characteristics,” observes Benedicta Sampaio-Maya, the study coordinator and researcher of i3S.

According to the researchers, the work may pave the way for “the future identification of biological markers associated with mental health and the development of new approaches to intervention based on food, probiotics or other ways to change the bacteria of the organism”.

Among the main results, the team “identified associations between traces of psychopathy and some specific intestinal bacteria”.

“ Researchers also observed differences in substances found in faeces, such as glucose (sugar) and taurine, a molecule produced by the body that participates in various functions of the brain and metabolism, both associated with higher levels of these traits,” describes i3S.

The institute states that “psychopathy involves a set of characteristics such as impulsiveness, manipulation, absence of empathy and antisocial behavior”.

“ Although its origin involves genetic and environmental factors, the biological mechanisms associated with these characteristics remain poorly understood”, they point out.

In this study, researchers recruited 200 Portuguese and evaluated “psychopathic traits, empathy and anxiety through psychological assessment scales”.

At the same time, they collected stool, saliva and blood samples to study bacteria present in the body and identify chemicals potentially involved in the communication between the intestine and the brain, clarifies the i3S.

The study was developed in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto (FPCEUP), the School of Dental Medicine of the University of Porto (FMDUP) and the University of Oxford.