Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
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Eating problems and emotional eating in childhood are associated with eating disorders in adolescence. Eating problems and emotional eating can develop due to problems with mood and stress...Show moreEating problems and emotional eating in childhood are associated with eating disorders in adolescence. Eating problems and emotional eating can develop due to problems with mood and stress regulation or appetite regulation. External factors, such as maternal caregiving, can also play a role. Mood, stress and appetite regulation are regulated by the brain but also by the gut. In recent research, the gut has been linked to depression and anxiety, but more research is needed on its role in eating disorders and their precursors. In this study, we explored the link between two precursors of eating disorders, eating problems and emotional eating, and the gut microbiota as well as the moderating role of maternal caregiving. We analysed longitudinal data from the BIBO (Basale Invloeden op de Baby Ontwikkeling) study of Nijmegen university. The data was used to look at whether clusters of bacteria in infancy predict eating problems at 2.5 and 6 years old and emotional eating at 6 and 14 years old. Furthermore, maternal caregiving was added as a moderator to see its role in the potential relationship between the gut and eating problems and emotional eating. Results revealed that there were no significant differences in eating problems (at 2.5 and 6 years old) and emotional eating (at 6 and 14 years old) between the clusters. Furthermore, there was no moderating effect of maternal caregiving on the relationship between microbiota cluster and eating problems and emotional eating. This study suggests that infant microbiota does not predict eating problems and emotional eating in childhood and adolescence in this sample. However, these findings open new paths for future research; with higher taxonomic resolution rather than clusters of bacteria, larger sample sizes, and finally the addition of measures of relevant variables, such as emotion regulation strategies and measures of parent-child relations, such as attachment and parental feeding practices.Show less
Background: Recent evidence indicates that the gut-brain axis plays a role in mental well-being, with microbiota as a crucial component. Yet, it is still unclear how it influences cognitive...Show moreBackground: Recent evidence indicates that the gut-brain axis plays a role in mental well-being, with microbiota as a crucial component. Yet, it is still unclear how it influences cognitive reactivity, known as a predictor of depression. Understanding how the microbiota-gut-brain axis affects cognitive reactivity may contribute to enhancing interventions targeting cognitive reactivity and eventually depression. Objective: The current observational study investigated the association between cognitive reactivity and Alpha diversity in the gut microbiota, and the moderating role of enterotype among (self-reported) healthy Dutch adults (N = 75, M age = 24.04, SD = 3.43). Methods: The gut microbial composition and enterotype were based on a 16S rRNA analysis, after which the Shannon index was calculated to indicate Alpha diversity. Based on literature, enterotype was categorized into three groups: Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus. The LEIDS-r was used to measure cognitive reactivity. A simple linear regression and moderation analysis using Hayes PROCESS were performed. Results: The moderation analysis revealed a significant moderation effect; however, the overall model was not significant therefore the results should be interpreted carefully. The results demonstrated an association between gut microbiome diversity (Shannon index) and cognitive reactivity among participants in the Bacteroides dominant group and the Ruminococcus dominant group, whereas no such correlation was found among participants in the Prevotella dominant group. Discussion: The current findings suggest an enterotype-dependent link between gut microbiota diversity and cognitive reactivity in healthy adults, which may provide a new perspective for the development and deployment of therapeutic gut microbial interventions targeting cognitive reactivity and ultimately depressionShow less
