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Review notes gut mycobiota dysbiosis in autism, ADHD, and Rett syndrome

Review notes gut mycobiota dysbiosis in autism, ADHD, and Rett syndrome
Photo by Ben Maffin / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Consider the emerging link between gut mycobiota dysbiosis and neurodevelopmental conditions, but note causality is unproven.

This is a narrative review that synthesizes emerging evidence on gut mycobiota in autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Rett syndrome. The authors report a consistent dysbiosis signature across these conditions, characterized by reduced diversity and Candida expansion. No pooled effect sizes or quantitative syntheses are provided, as this is a qualitative review.

The review identifies a common pattern of gut mycobiota alteration in these neurodevelopmental conditions. However, the authors explicitly note that causality requires validation, and the evidence is described as emerging. The review does not report specific study populations, sample sizes, or intervention details.

Key limitations acknowledged include the need for validation of causality and the preliminary nature of the evidence. The authors suggest that this work opens avenues for biomarker discovery and multikingdom therapeutic interventions, but they do not specify any clinical practice recommendations.

In summary, this review highlights a shared gut mycobiota dysbiosis signature in autism, ADHD, and Rett syndrome, while emphasizing the early and uncertain state of the evidence. Practice relevance is framed cautiously, with a focus on future research directions rather than immediate clinical application.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedMay 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Research on the gut-brain axis in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) has historically focused on bacteria, overlooking fungal contributions. This review synthesizes emerging evidence to propose that intestinal fungi may actively contribute to NDD pathophysiology through multikingdom interactions, though causality requires validation. We delineate a consistent gut mycobiota dysbiosis signature across autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Rett syndrome (RTT) characterized by reduced diversity and Candida expansion. Potential mechanisms include compromised intestinal barrier integrity, systemic immune activation via Dectin-1/Syk/CARD9 signaling, and disruption of neuroactive metabolites like short-chain fatty acids. We propose distinct etiological pathways: a “top-down” cascade in RTT, where MeCP2 mutation-induced dysmotility creates a pro-dysbiotic niche, and a “bottom-up” pathway in ASD and ADHD, where bacterial dysbiosis erodes colonization resistance, permitting fungal overgrowth. This “bacteria–fungi–host” framework provides a coherent explanation for gut-brain axis disruptions and opens avenues for biomarker discovery and multikingdom therapeutic interventions.
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