Allen A P, Hutch W, Borre Y E, Kennedy P J, Temko A, Boylan G, Murphy E, Cryan J F, Dinan T G, Clarke G
APC Microbiome Institute, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, Biosciences Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Transl Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 1;6(11):e939. doi: 10.1038/tp.2016.191.
The emerging concept of psychobiotics-live microorganisms with a potential mental health benefit-represents a novel approach for the management of stress-related conditions. The majority of studies have focused on animal models. Recent preclinical studies have identified the B. longum 1714 strain as a putative psychobiotic with an impact on stress-related behaviors, physiology and cognitive performance. Whether such preclinical effects could be translated to healthy human volunteers remains unknown. We tested whether psychobiotic consumption could affect the stress response, cognition and brain activity patterns. In a within-participants design, healthy volunteers (N=22) completed cognitive assessments, resting electroencephalography and were exposed to a socially evaluated cold pressor test at baseline, post-placebo and post-psychobiotic. Increases in cortisol output and subjective anxiety in response to the socially evaluated cold pressor test were attenuated. Furthermore, daily reported stress was reduced by psychobiotic consumption. We also observed subtle improvements in hippocampus-dependent visuospatial memory performance, as well as enhanced frontal midline electroencephalographic mobility following psychobiotic consumption. These subtle but clear benefits are in line with the predicted impact from preclinical screening platforms. Our results indicate that consumption of B. longum 1714 is associated with reduced stress and improved memory. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the benefits of this putative psychobiotic in relevant stress-related conditions and to unravel the mechanisms underlying such effects.
心理益生菌这一新兴概念指的是对心理健康有潜在益处的活微生物，它代表了一种管理与压力相关病症的新方法。大多数研究都集中在动物模型上。最近的临床前研究已确定长双歧杆菌1714菌株是一种假定的心理益生菌，对与压力相关的行为、生理和认知表现有影响。这种临床前效应是否能转化到健康人类志愿者身上仍不清楚。我们测试了食用心理益生菌是否会影响应激反应、认知和大脑活动模式。在一项受试者内设计中，健康志愿者（N = 22）完成了认知评估、静息脑电图检查，并在基线、服用安慰剂后和服用心理益生菌后接受了社会评价冷加压试验。对社会评价冷加压试验的皮质醇分泌增加和主观焦虑有所减轻。此外，食用心理益生菌可减少每日报告的压力。我们还观察到，食用心理益生菌后，海马体依赖的视觉空间记忆表现有细微改善，前额中线脑电图活动增强。这些细微但明显的益处与临床前筛查平台预测的影响一致。我们的结果表明，食用长双歧杆菌1714与减轻压力和改善记忆有关。有必要进一步研究评估这种假定的心理益生菌在相关压力相关病症中的益处，并阐明其作用的潜在机制。
