Microbiota and Mental health: implication for personalized neuropharmacology

The gut microbiota is increasingly recognized as a key player in neuropharmacology, influencing drug metabolism, efficacy, and psychiatric treatment outcomes. Dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota, has been associated with brain disorders such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, affecting neurotransmitter systems critical to pharmacotherapy. Personalized neuropharmacology, driven by microbiota profiling, offers a promising avenue for optimizing psychiatric medications. Variability in microbiota composition influences drug absorption, metabolism, and response, highlighting the need for precision medicine in psychiatric treatment. Integrating microbiome analysis into neuropharmacology may enhance drug efficacy, reduce adverse effects, and facilitate targeted interventions using psychobiotics and microbiota-modulating strategies. This review focuses on microbiota’s impact on psychiatric pharmacotherapy, examining its role in drug interactions, response variability, and novel therapeutic approaches. Probiotics, dietary modifications, and microbiome-based drug development are explored as emerging strategies for individualized treatment. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of up-to-date findings and future prospects in microbiota-focused pharmacotherapy, paving the way for precision medicine in mental health care.