SynthesisNutrients2022
Effect of Probiotics on Psychiatric Symptoms and Central Nervous System Functions in Human Health and Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.
- Constipation is associated with an increased risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Translational psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Probiotic intake and mental health in healthy working adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- The effects of oral probiotic intervention on brain structure and function in human adults: a systematic review.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrition reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Nutraceuticals in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Pooled it
- From gut to brain: unveiling probiotic effects through a neuroimaging perspective-A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of Probiotic Supplementation on Gut Microbiota in Patients with Major Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Probiotics as a Tool for Regulating Molecular Mechanisms in Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Pooled it
- Beyond Analgesia: Psychobiotics as an Adjunctive Approach to Pain Management in Gastrointestinal Oncology-ANutrients · 2025Trial
- Probiotic-mediated modulation of gut microbiome in students exposed to academic stress: a randomized controlled trial.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025Trial
- Psychobiotics Ameliorate Depression and Anxiety Status in Surgical Oncology Patients: Results from theNutrients · 2025Trial
- Psychobiotic Effects on Anxiety Are Modulated by Lifestyle Behaviors: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial on Healthy Adults.Nutrients · 2023Trial
- PRO-DEMET Randomized Controlled Trial on Probiotics in Depression-Pilot Study Results.Nutrients · 2023Trial
- Effects of probiotics on psychological issues in people with fibromyalgia: a systematic review.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Article
- "Attacking" the Gut-Brain Axis with Psychobiotics: An Umbrella Review of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Psychobiotics in mental health: insights from human clinical trials via the gut-brain axis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
- From dysbiosis to dysfunction: specific gut microbes and metabolites in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Sustainable microbiology · 2026Review
- Evaluating the scientific evidence to support mental health and well-being claims made on probiotic products.Nutrition and health · 2025Review
- Review
- Unveiling probiotic and prebiotic functional dairy foods: a health beneficial outlook.3 Biotech · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe gut microbiota impacts on central nervous system (CNS) function via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Thus, therapeutics targeting the gut microbiota such as probiotics have the potential for improving mental health. This meta-analysis synthesizes the evidence regarding the impacts of probiotics on psychological well-being, psychiatric symptoms and CNS functioning.
methodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were applied for executing this review using the databases PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. The data were summarized at qualitative and quantitative level.
resultsFifty-four randomized placebo-controlled studies were included, of which 30 were eligible for meta-analysis. If investigated, the probiotics mostly exerted effects on CNS function. Most probiotics did not affect mood, stress, anxiety, depression and psychiatric distress when compared to placebo at the qualitative level. At quantitative level, depression and psychiatric distress improved slightly in the probiotic condition (depression: mean difference -0.37 (95% CI: -0.55, -0.20);
conclusionsTo date it is unclear to which extent and in which specific areas next generation probiotics selected and developed for their ability to improve psychiatric condition and potentially other CNS functions are promising.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.