Gut Microbiota Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The fascinating hypothesis of a gut–brain axis influencing cognition, emotions, and behavior has gradually developed in recent years, supported by increasingly relevant data. Closely related to it, there is the theory according to which an alteration of the gut microbiota could play a key role in the pathogenesis of brain diseases, including psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, much remains to be discovered today regarding the role of microbiota in the ASD etiopathogenesis.