“The ability to control emotions” connects the intestinal flora in early childhood and problem behavior later in life - Longitudinal study from ages 3 to 5 -

Researcher information

overview

Executive function is a higher cognitive function that appropriately controls and adjusts thoughts, actions, and emotions in order to achieve goals. Infancy is an important period during which executive functions significantly develop and the intestinal flora matures to a composition similar to that of adults. Previous studies have reported a relationship between the intestinal microbiota during childhood and executive functions, particularly aspects related to emotional regulation. However, it was not known how the relationship between the gut microbiota and emotional regulation leads to later ``internalizing problems'' such as anxiety and social withdrawal, and ``externalizing problems'' such as hyperactivity and aggression. A research group led by Professor Masako Maywa of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Education longitudinally followed 68 Japanese children from ages 3 to 5 and examined the relationship between intestinal flora, executive function, and internalizing/externalizing problems. The results showed that the higher the relative abundance of the genus Coprobacillus at the age of 3, the greater the difficulty in regulating emotions at the same time, and that this difficulty in regulating emotions was associated with the risk of internalizing and externalizing problems at the age of 5. It was also found that at the age of 5 years, the lower the relative abundance of Granulicatella, the greater the difficulty in executive function, and that this was associated with the risk of internalizing problems through executive function. This study showed that executive functions, particularly emotional regulation, may be involved in the developmental relationship between the intestinal microbiota in early childhood and later internalizing and externalizing problems.

The results of this research were published online in the international academic journal "Journal of Affective Disorders Reports" on September 6, 2026.

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