Tang, Qianqian, Cao, Lihua · Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology · 2021 · DOI
Your gut bacteria (microbiome) communicate with your brain through multiple pathways, including immune signals and nerve connections. When this gut-brain communication goes wrong, it may contribute to various neurological conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. This review summarizes what scientists know about how imbalanced gut bacteria might affect the nervous system and cause disease.
ME/CFS is explicitly included in this review of gut-brain axis dysfunction in neurological disease. Understanding whether dysbiosis contributes to ME/CFS pathophysiology could identify new diagnostic targets and treatment strategies, particularly given ME/CFS's prominent neuroimmune and autonomic features.
This review does not establish causality between dysbiosis and ME/CFS or any neurological disorder—it summarizes associations and proposed mechanisms. The authors explicitly state that causal evidence is lacking and that research remains in its infancy. This review cannot prove that microbiome interventions will effectively treat ME/CFS.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Tang, Qianqian & Cao, Lihua (2021). [Intestinal flora and neurological disorders].. Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.13345/j.cjb.210253
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-tang-2021-intestinal-flora,
author = {Tang, Qianqian and Cao, Lihua},
title = {[Intestinal flora and neurological disorders].},
journal = {Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.13345/j.cjb.210253},
note = {PubMed: 34841782},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tang-2021-intestinal-flora},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tang-2021-intestinal-flora
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