Multi-Strain Probiotic Mixture Affects Brain Morphology and Resting State Brain Function in Healthy Subjects: An RCT
Julia Rode,
Hanna M. T. Edebol Carlman,
Julia König,
Ashley N. Hutchinson,
Per Thunberg,
Jonas Persson,
Robert J. Brummer
Affiliations
Julia Rode
Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Hanna M. T. Edebol Carlman
Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Julia König
Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Ashley N. Hutchinson
Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Per Thunberg
Department of Radiology and Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Jonas Persson
Center for Lifespan Developmental Research (LEADER), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Robert J. Brummer
Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
Probiotics can alter brain function via the gut–brain axis. We investigated the effect of a probiotic mixture containing Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded crossover design, 22 healthy subjects (6 m/16 f; 24.2 ± 3.4 years) underwent four-week intervention periods with probiotics and placebo, separated by a four-week washout period. Voxel-based morphometry indicated that the probiotic intervention affected the gray matter volume of a cluster covering the left supramarginal gyrus and superior parietal lobule (p p = 0.056) and its depression sub-score (p = 0.093), as well as sleep patterns (p = 0.058). The probiotic intervention evoked distinct changes in brain morphology and resting state brain function alongside slight improvements of psycho(bio)logical markers of the gut–brain axis. The combination of those parameters may provide new insights into the modes of action by which gut microbiota can affect gut–brain communication and hence brain function.
