Probiotic Mixture Containing Lactobacillus helveticus, Bifidobacterium longum and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Affects Brain Responses to an Arithmetic Stress Task in Healthy Subjects: A Randomised Clinical Trial and Proof-of-Concept Study

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 7; p. 1329
• Main Authors: Edebol Carlman, Hanna M. T., Rode, Julia, König, Julia, Repsilber, Dirk, Hutchinson, Ashley N., Thunberg, Per, Persson, Jonas, Kiselev, Andrey, Pruessner, Jens C., Brummer, Robert J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.03.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: autonomic nervous system; Bacteria; Bifidobacterium longum; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; brain activity; Clinical trials; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Double-Blind Method; Female; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); gut microbiota; Gut-brain axis; Healthy Volunteers; Hormones; Humans; Intervention; Investigations; Lactobacillus helveticus; Male; Microbiota; Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST); Nervous system; Probiotics; Stress response; Italy; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); autonomic nervous system; brain activity; Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST); gut microbiota; gut-brain axis
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14071329
• ISSN: 2072-6643

Probiotics are suggested to impact physiological and psychological stress responses by acting on the gut-brain axis. We investigated if a probiotic product containing Bifidobacterium longum R0175, Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum R1012 affected stress processing in a double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover proof-of-concept study (NCT03615651). Twenty-two healthy subjects (24.2 ± 3.4 years, 6 men/16 women) underwent a probiotic and placebo intervention for 4 weeks each, separated by a 4-week washout period. Subjects were examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) as well as an autonomic nervous system function assessment during the Stroop task. Reduced activation in regions of the lateral orbital and ventral cingulate gyri was observed after probiotic intervention compared to placebo. Significantly increased functional connectivity was found between the upper limbic region and medioventral area. Interestingly, probiotic intervention seemed to predominantly affect the initial stress response. Salivary cortisol secretion during the task was not altered. Probiotic intervention did not affect cognitive performance and autonomic nervous system function during Stroop. The probiotic intervention was able to subtly alter brain activity and functional connectivity in regions known to regulate emotion and stress responses. These findings support the potential of probiotics as a non-pharmaceutical treatment modality for stress-related disorders.