ORAL MICROBIOME AND DEPRESSION: EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN BUCCAL MICROBIAL DIVERSITY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this narrative literature review article is to address the possible correlation between the microbiome and depressive disorders. Methodology: During the construction of this narrative literature review, it was necessary to search online databases to obtain studies that would serve to compose the review. Searches were carried out in the following databases: Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase in conjunction with Google Scholar. The following descriptors were used during the searches in the databases: Microbiome; depression; Oral Health. The results obtained in the searches within the databases went through 3 stages, aiming to remain only studies that are related to the objectives of this review. First stage: The articles acquired in the searches went through screening, eliminating duplicate articles. Second stage: The articles left over from the deduplication were read, where the remaining articles had their abstracts and titles read, and those that did not fit the study were removed. Third stage: The remaining articles were read in their entirety, leaving only those that fit the theme to compose the article. Results: The oral cavity houses the second largest bacterial community in the human body, behind only the intestine, which is responsible for the largest community of bacteria. Studies have shown that knowledge about the bacteria in the oral cavity can serve as potential biomarkers, even revealing the possibility of predisposition to depressive disorders. Conclusion: Studies show that people with lower diversity in the oral microbiome are more likely to develop symptoms of depression.