SynthesisBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025
Efficacy and safety of probiotic supplements on cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Synthesis in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Can live microbial interventions support healthy aging? A systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive and muscle outcomes in aging adults.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of oral probiotics on oral health and halitosis in orthodontic patients treated with aligners or conventional fixed appliances vs placebo: two randomized clinical trials.European journal of orthodontics · 2026Trial
- The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Aging: Integrating Immunosenescence, Inflammaging, and Neuroinflammation for Precision Medicine.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- KetoFLEX 12/3 Diet and Cognitive Health: A Precision-Nutrition Perspective on Mechanisms, Emerging Evidence, and Future Directions.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Paradigm Shift of Microbiota-gut-brain Axis During Aging: Potential Role of Probiotics to Improve Cognitive Decline.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Targeting the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Emerging Nanomedicine Approaches for Neurodegenerative Diseases.The European journal of neuroscience · 2026Review
- Early-life gastrointestinal inflammation and the developing brain: Unravelling the pathways to long-term cognitive dysfunction.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2026Review
- The gut microbiome and ageing trajectories: mechanisms and clinical implications.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2026Review
- GABA-Producing Bacteria as Potential Psychobiotics in Gut-Brain Axis Regulation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Probiotics as Modulators of Adult Neurogenesis and Synaptic Plasticity: New Perspectives in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Affective Disorders.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Do microbiota rhythms influence cognitive performance? - A narrative review.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2026Review
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
objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotic supplementation on cognitive function in individuals over 18 years of age.
methodsRandomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the impact of probiotics on cognitive function were included. Searches were conducted across four medical databases from inception to August 2024. The outcomes were cognitive function measured by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Cognition Categorical Fluency Test (CFT), and adverse events. Data were extracted and analyzed using a random-effects model, with results reported as mean differences (MD) and relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). To evaluate statistical heterogeneity, the I² statistic and the tau squared value (τ²) were used. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2.0 tool, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE.
resultsA total of 34 RCTs involving 2,390 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Limited evidence suggests a possible improvement in cognitive function from probiotics use at 12 weeks (MD 4.23, 95% CI 2.77 to 5.68; certainty of evidence (CoE) was low, I² = 0%) for MMSE and cognitive function (MD 1.21; 95% CI 0.06 to 2.36; certainty of evidence (CoE) was low; I² = 35%) for MoCA; however, due to the very low certainty found, the evidence is very uncertain. On the other hand, probiotic supplementation can improve cognitive performance, as measured by CFT (MD 3.94, 95% CI: 3.20 to 4.69, low certainty of evidence; I² = 0%). Probiotics did not reduce the risk of any adverse event (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.27; Certainty of evidence (CoE) was Very Low).
conclusionsOur study found that probiotics improved cognitive function, especially after 12 weeks of supplementation, using the MoCA test. However, although probiotics show potential benefits, the current evidence remains highly uncertain, warranting further rigorous trials.
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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.