Dysbiosis
of gut microbiota may lead to a range of diseases including
neurological disorders. Thus, it is hypothesized that regulation of
the intestinal microbiota may prevent or treat epilepsy. The purpose
of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence investigating
the relationship between gut microbiota and epilepsy and possible
interventions. A systematic review of the literature was done on four
databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science). Study selection
was restricted to original research articles while following the PRISMA
guidelines. Six studies were selected. These studies cohesively support
the interaction between gut microbiota and epileptic seizures. Gut
microbiota analysis identified increases in Firmicutes, Proteobacteria,
Verrucomicrobia, and Fusobacteria with decreases in Bacteroidetes
and Actinobacteria in epileptic patients. Ketogenic diet, probiotics,
and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) improved the dysbiosis
of the gut microbiota and seizure activity. However, the studies either
had a small sample size, lack of subject variability, or short study
or follow-up period, which may question their reliability. Nevertheless,
these limited studies conclusively suggest that gut microbiota diversity
and dysbiosis may be involved in the pathology of epilepsy. Future
studies providing more reliable and in depth insight into the gut
microbial community will spark promising alternative therapies to
current epilepsy treatment.
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