Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Humans
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2018-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The gut-brain axis is described as being important in both, gut functions and central nervous
system (CNS) functions. The microbiota in the gut plays an important role in this axis
through neural, immune and endocrine systems. Previous studies have found altered gut
microbiota (GM) composition could change the CNS functions in animals and humans. Probiotics
were shown having positive effect on improving stress response in animals and stress related
psychiatry in humans. The current study will investigate if probiotics can improve response
to social stress in healthy participants and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
which is a stress-related disease, and whether this probiotic action can be counteracted by
the locally acting antibiotic, Rifaximin. The investigators will use the Cyberball paradigram
to induce social stress and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record neural responses related
to the social stress. The administration of the probiotics will be a new strategy for both
the mental health management and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in the future.