Background Microbiome alterations have been associated with depression, and fecal transfer of depressed patients’ microbiomes is sufficient to enhance despair behaviors in rodents. Yet little is known about the potential mechanisms, whereby microbes modulate depressive-like behaviors. Results In this study, we showed that certain bacteria known to induce Th17 cells are increased in depressed patients and mice exhibiting learned helplessness. Fecal transfers of human depressed patients’ microbiomes into germ-free-like mice were sufficient to decrease sociability and increased susceptibility to the learned helplessness paradigm, confirming that the microbiome is sufficient to confer depressive-like behaviors. This microbial effect was dependent on the presence of Th17 cells in the recipient, as germ-free-like recipient mice deficient in Th17 cells were resistant to the behavioral changes induced by the microbiome of depressed patients. Conclusion Altogether, these findings suggest a crucial role of the microbiome/Th17 cell axis in regulating depressive-like behaviors.

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Background: Popular culture and music have long served as windows into the common attitudes, trends, and issues of the time. The representation of vertigo in music has not been previously explored. The objective of this study was to analyze the portrayal of vertigo in music through content and sentiment analysis of song lyrics. Methods: A large song lyric database was queried to identify English language song titles containing the word "vertigo." A sentiment and content analysis of the lyrics was performed to delineate the most frequently used words, the accuracy of vertigo depictions, and emotional valence (i.e., the ratio of positive to negative references to vertigo). Results: Between 1969 and 2022, there were a total of 54 songs specifically titled "Vertigo." Most songs (73%) portrayed vertigo negatively, and the prevalence of negative sentiment within music increased with each decade. The three most common words being used in association with vertigo within music were "feel" (n = 97), "love" (n = 66), and "falling" (n = 57). In early decades, songs using the word vertigo misrepresented the condition and associated perceptions relative to common medical understanding. In more recent decades, vertigo was used in a way more representative of medical interpretations. Conclusion:The depiction of vertigo in songs has changed over time, and more recently, usage has reflected Bárány Society definitions. Interestingly, the negative sentiment has also increased with time. This work provides a lyrical analysis of vertigo that may improve physician understanding of the cultural usage of this challenging symptom.

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