Study Links 3 Gut Bacteria to Higher Psychopathy Scores in 200 Adults
Updated
Updated · New York Post · Aug 22
Study Links 3 Gut Bacteria to Higher Psychopathy Scores in 200 Adults
3 articles · Updated · New York Post · Aug 22
Summary
Three gut bacteria—Allisonella, Prevotella and Cloacibacillus evryensis—tracked with higher psychopathy survey scores in a study of 200 healthy adults.
Researchers compared blood, saliva and fecal samples with Self-Report Psychopathy Scale results and found the signal in differences between participants, not in each person's overall microbial diversity.
The paper says the mechanism is unclear, though Allisonella has been tied to inflammation, Prevotella to psychiatric conditions and C. evryensis to a brain chemical affecting impulse control; Treponema vincentii showed the opposite association.
The authors called the findings a possible biological footprint beyond standard brain-based models, but the study reports correlation only and does not show that microbes cause psychopathic traits.