Constipation & Multiple Sclerosis: Study Insights

The gut microbiome is an area of significant interest in multiple sclerosis (MS) research. Studies have shown that people living with MS have different levels of diversity in their gut microbiome compared to healthy controls, as well as in the abundance of certain bacterial species. While it is difficult to tell whether or not these changes are part of the cause of the disease or a side-effect of it, there has been exciting work that has shown that restoring the balance of the gut microbiome can be an effective treatment (click here to learn more).

Gut symptoms are frequently experienced by people living with multiple sclerosis. One commonly reported symptom is constipation or difficulty passing bowel movements. Recently, research has shown that constipation can also lead to changes in a person’s gut microbiome. Considering this, it would be interesting to know whether constipation in people living with MS is the cause of some of the gut microbiome differences that have been previously observed.

In the below video, Brett Drummond (chief science communicator and co-founder of MStranslate) explores the findings of a recently published study that has used an animal model of multiple sclerosis to answer this very question. Throughout the course of the video, Brett explains the background to the study, how it was conducted and simply explains some of the key findings. He then describes what this might mean for people living with multiple sclerosis and raises the questions still to be answered.

The full publication is freely available at the moment and can be accessed by clicking here.

If you have any questions on the research discussed within the video, please don’t hesitate to ask them and Brett will ensure that he responds as soon as possible. You can post your questions in the comments below, on any of our social media channels or you can e-mail Brett directly at brett@mstranslate.com.au.

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