Celiac Disease Is Associated with Childhood Psychiatric Disorders: A Population-Based Study

FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:

This study found that children diagnosed with coeliac disease (CD) had higher risk for subsequently developing psychiatric disorders; and also that previous diagnoses of mood, behaviour or eating disorders were more common in children with CD.

CD is a genetically-mediated auto-immune disease, in which gluten exposure triggers the production of antibodies that damage the intestinal lining and impair nutrient absorption. Classic symptoms include ‘failure to thrive’, stunted growth or other malnutrition symptoms, and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The only treatment for CD is a strictly gluten-free diet.

CD affects at least 1% of the population, but often goes undetected - known as ‘silent coeliac’. However, effects on the brain and nervous system are well-documented, and these may manifest as anxiety, ADHD, ASD, depression or even psychosis, and/or neurological symptoms such as poor balance and co-ordination.

Testing for CD is not routine in developmental and psychiatric disorders. However, these findings indicate that screening may be advisable if there is a family history of CD, GI symptoms or psychiatric or neurological symptoms. 

Importantly, testing for CD must take place before a gluten-free diet is adopted - as diagnosis relies on detecting auto-antibodies triggered by gluten exposure.


For other research into the links between celiac disease (and other forms of gluten sensivitiy) in relation to brain function, see:

• Gluten sensitivity presenting as a neuropsychiatric disorder

• Neurologic and psychiatric manifestations of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity

• Gluten Psychosis: Confirmation of a New Clinical Entity

• Gluten sensitivity