ReviewBJPsych open2024
Therapeutic efficacy of probiotics for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: meta-analysis.
Review in BJPsych open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 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
9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders and intestinal disorders: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Therapeutic effects of probiotics on symptoms of depression in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Probiotic Supplementation and Executive Function in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.Neuropsychopharmacology reports · 2026Trial
- A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurofeedback for Training of Attention and Related Cognitive Functions.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- The Gut-Brain Axis in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Why the Gut Shapes Behavior, Depression, and Self-Injurious Behavior in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure-A Narrative Review with a Proposal for Staged Nutritional and Microbiological Intervention.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Review
- Gut Microbiome and ADHD: A Narrative Review of Clinical Evidence and Practice Implications.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2026Review
- Condition the water before adding the fish: a hypothesis on probiotic selection without prior gut assessment.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe efficacy of probiotics as a therapeutic alternative for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain unclear.
aimsTo investigate the effectiveness of probiotics for symptoms of ADHD and identify possible factors affecting their efficacy.
methodRandomised placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major databases from inception to April 2023, using the main keywords 'probiotics' and 'ADHD' without limitation on languages or geographic locations. The outcome of interest included improvement in total symptoms of ADHD, symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, and drop-out rate. Continuous and categorical data were expressed as effect sizes based on standardised mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals.
resultsMeta-analysis of seven trials involving 379 participants (mean age 10.37 years, range 4-18 years) showed no significant improvement in total symptoms of ADHD (SMD = 0.25;
conclusionsCurrent evidence shows no significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between probiotics and placebos for treatment of ADHD symptoms. However, albeit statistically non-significant, higher therapeutic efficacies associated with multiple-strain probiotics or combining probiotics with methylphenidate may provide direction for further research.
Indexed as
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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.