Gut microbiome testing
Comprehensive stool-based diagnostic testing evaluating gut bacterial composition and inflammation, used to inform — never replace — the primary treatment plan.
What it is & how it works
Comprehensive stool-based diagnostic testing (e.g. DNA-based panels in the style of GI-MAP or GI Effects) evaluating gut bacterial composition, dysbiosis markers, digestive and absorptive function, and intestinal inflammation — used within functional medicine to identify gut-level contributors to a patient's broader presentation.
How it's done
Performed via an at-home or in-clinic stool collection kit (single- or multi-day sample), sent to an accredited laboratory; results typically take about two to three weeks. Findings are reviewed with the patient in a dedicated consultation and used to inform a targeted dietary, supplement, or gut-brain-axis plan.
Conditions it treats
Why Brain Bridge
Gut microbiome testing is used at Brain Bridge to inform an individualized functional-medicine plan layered onto — never substituted for — core neurological, developmental, or psychiatric care.
Evidence & safety
Some markers on comprehensive stool panels are reasonably well characterized, while clinical-outcome evidence linking specific microbiome findings to targeted interventions is still developing. Results are interpreted by a qualified clinician; testing itself carries minimal physical risk.
Related questions
Some markers on comprehensive stool panels are reasonably well characterized, but there's no single agreed definition of a 'healthy' microbiome, and results can vary somewhat between laboratories and even between samples from the same person, so findings are interpreted alongside the broader clinical picture rather than read in isolation.
No. It involves an at-home or in-clinic stool-sample collection kit and carries minimal physical risk, with no needle, sedation, or invasive procedure involved.