Effects of a multi-strain probiotic on hippocampal structure and function, cognition, and emotional well-being in healthy individuals: a double-blind randomised-controlled trial
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Effects of a multi-strain probiotic on hippocampal structure and function, cognition, and emotional well-being in healthy individuals: a double-blind randomised-controlled trial. / Ascone, Leonie; Garcia Forlim, Caroline; Gallinat, Jürgen; Kühn, Simone.
In: PSYCHOL MED, Vol. 52, No. 16, 12.2022, p. 4197-4207.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of a multi-strain probiotic on hippocampal structure and function, cognition, and emotional well-being in healthy individuals: a double-blind randomised-controlled trial
AU - Ascone, Leonie
AU - Garcia Forlim, Caroline
AU - Gallinat, Jürgen
AU - Kühn, Simone
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - BACKGROUND: Animal studies have shown beneficial effects of probiotic supplementation on the hippocampus (HC) and cognitive performance. Evidence in humans is scarce. It was hypothesised that probiotic supplementation is associated with enhanced hippocampal (HC) regional grey matter volume (rGMV), as well as HC functional connectivity (FC). Relatedly improvements in mnestic and navigational performance, or emotional well-being, were expected to be observed in healthy human volunteers.METHODS: A randomised-controlled, double-blind trial (RCT) was conducted in N = 59 volunteers (age Mean = 27.1, s.d. = 6.7), applying a multi-strain probiotic (Vivomixx®) v. non-probiotic milk-powder placebo, each with 4.4 g/day, for 4 weeks. Volumetric data was extracted from 3T structural magnetic resonance images of total HC and -subfields. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and FreeSurfer-based analyses were performed. Potential neuroplastic change beyond HC was explored using whole-brain-VBM for white- and GMV. Seed-based FC was calculated based on HC. Cognitive tests included visual, map-based, object-location, and verbal memory, and spatial navigation. Mental health status (stress, anxiety, depression, and emotion-regulation) was assessed using self-reports.RESULTS: There were no changes in HC-total, -subfield GMV, or FC, through probiotics. VBM revealed no changes at a whole-brain-level. There were no effects on cognitive performance or mental health. Evidence in favor of the null-hypothesis, using Bayesian statistics, was consistent.CONCLUSIONS: The applied multi-strain probiotic did not elicit any effects concerning hippocampal structural plasticity, cognition, or mental well-being in young, healthy adults. For future studies, longer application/observation RCTs, perhaps in stressed, otherwise psychologically/ cognitively vulnerable, or ageing groups, with well-founded strain selection and investigation of mechanism, are advised.
AB - BACKGROUND: Animal studies have shown beneficial effects of probiotic supplementation on the hippocampus (HC) and cognitive performance. Evidence in humans is scarce. It was hypothesised that probiotic supplementation is associated with enhanced hippocampal (HC) regional grey matter volume (rGMV), as well as HC functional connectivity (FC). Relatedly improvements in mnestic and navigational performance, or emotional well-being, were expected to be observed in healthy human volunteers.METHODS: A randomised-controlled, double-blind trial (RCT) was conducted in N = 59 volunteers (age Mean = 27.1, s.d. = 6.7), applying a multi-strain probiotic (Vivomixx®) v. non-probiotic milk-powder placebo, each with 4.4 g/day, for 4 weeks. Volumetric data was extracted from 3T structural magnetic resonance images of total HC and -subfields. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and FreeSurfer-based analyses were performed. Potential neuroplastic change beyond HC was explored using whole-brain-VBM for white- and GMV. Seed-based FC was calculated based on HC. Cognitive tests included visual, map-based, object-location, and verbal memory, and spatial navigation. Mental health status (stress, anxiety, depression, and emotion-regulation) was assessed using self-reports.RESULTS: There were no changes in HC-total, -subfield GMV, or FC, through probiotics. VBM revealed no changes at a whole-brain-level. There were no effects on cognitive performance or mental health. Evidence in favor of the null-hypothesis, using Bayesian statistics, was consistent.CONCLUSIONS: The applied multi-strain probiotic did not elicit any effects concerning hippocampal structural plasticity, cognition, or mental well-being in young, healthy adults. For future studies, longer application/observation RCTs, perhaps in stressed, otherwise psychologically/ cognitively vulnerable, or ageing groups, with well-founded strain selection and investigation of mechanism, are advised.
U2 - 10.1017/S0033291722000988
DO - 10.1017/S0033291722000988
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 35513910
VL - 52
SP - 4197
EP - 4207
JO - PSYCHOL MED
JF - PSYCHOL MED
SN - 0033-2917
IS - 16
ER -