The gut-brain axis as potential contributor to fatigue and target for intervention

Objective definition of fatigue in neurological diseases

Immunomodulatory intervention by SCFA supplementation to promote recovery

For the last decade, we investigated the impact of environmental factors on brain health and disease with special emphasis on identifying components originating from dietary habits and involvement of the human gut microbiome. In a translational study, where we supplemented short-chained fatty acids (SCFA) in healthy controls and 300 MS patients for up to three years, we detected a substantial immunomodulatory mechanism driven by SCFA with distinct clinical relevance. Importantly, during supplementation MS patients reported reduced fatigue symptoms and an increased quality of life. Therefore, we will first gather unbiased data to establish a comprehensive multi-parameter platform of biomarkers of fatigue, and second investigate the beneficial effects of SCFA on the best suitable parameters in MS, PD and ME/CFS patients. This will also enable us to evaluate the impact of SCFA supplementation on subjective and objective parameters of fatigue and uncover potential disturbed brain clearance mechanisms.