Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Kerala study finds gut bacteria differences in people with Parkinson’s
Researchers in Kerala found different gut bacteria in people with Parkinson’s compared with healthy participants.
The study included 65 patients and 65 healthy people, most of them patients’ spouses.
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that affects movement as nerve cells producing dopamine gradually die.
The researchers found more bacteria potentially linked to inflammation and fewer bacteria that produce substances supporting the gut lining and immune system.
The bacterial differences were associated with disease severity and other clinical features, but the study does not show that they cause Parkinson’s.
Diet, age, sex, lifestyle and genetics can also affect gut bacteria and may help explain why findings vary between populations.
The results may guide research into early tests and gut-focused treatments for Parkinson’s.
A study involving patients in Keralam found significant differences in gut bacteria between people with Parkinson’s disease and healthy individuals.
Researchers found higher levels of bacteria potentially associated with inflammation and lower levels of beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids in patients with Parkinson’s.
The study included 65 patients and 65 healthy individuals, most of them patients’ spouses.
The researchers said the bacterial differences were associated with disease severity and other clinical features.
The findings were published online in npj Parkinson’s Disease and could inform future research into early diagnosis and treatments aimed at restoring gut health.
- Who
- Researchers from Cochin University of Science and Technology and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology studied 65 Parkinson’s patients and 65 healthy individuals.
- What
- The study found differences in gut bacteria between patients with Parkinson’s disease and healthy individuals.
- When
- The findings were published online on October 29, 2026.
- Where
- The study involved patients attending SCTIMST’s Comprehensive Care Centre for Movement Disorders in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam.
- Why
- The researchers investigated how gut bacteria may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers analysed stool samples from 65 Parkinson’s patients and 65 healthy individuals using metagenomic sequencing.
The findings were published online in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
- Participants with Parkinson’s disease
- 65
- Healthy comparison participants
- 65
- Research institutions
- CUSAT and SCTIMST
- Journal
- npj Parkinson’s Disease
- Funding
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
What people are saying
The study found that differences in the abundances of these bacteria were strongly associated with disease severity and other clinical features of Parkinson’s disease.
The findings also suggest that gut bacteria may be linked to disease progression through their influence on processes involving dopamine, glutamate, and GABA, chemicals that play important roles in brain function.