What Clinicians Need to Know About the Microbiome and it's Relevance to Communication Disorders.

What is it about?

In this review article, we introduce the following concepts. -We provide an introduction to the microbiome. It is community of microorganisms that exist on or in a particular environment in the body. Changes in compositions of microorganisms in the microbiome can underlie certain diseases (Parkinson's disease). - We differentiate commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria invade human cells and can cause disease. Commensal bacteria are beneficial to the human host and help maintain our immune system. - We explain differences in microbiome composition across different sites of the body (mouth, gut, lungs, larynx). - We summarize current literature on changes in microbiome composition that have been documented in different communication disorders. This includes voice disorders (laryngeal and tracheal microbiome), cleft lip and palate, neurogenic dysphagia and head and neck cancer (oral microbiome).

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Why is it important?

It has long been said that the microbiome contributes to health and disease. Understanding how microbiome composition can change in different communication disorders can help us identify how it affects the human host. Future clinical applications include the identification of probiotic therapeutic targets.