Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42533232›Full record

SynthesisNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2026

Efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE assessment.

Aya Magdy Siam, Elsayed S Moubarak, Nour-Eldin Mahmoud, Hamza Khelifa, Fatma Aljalawy, Abdelrahman A Hassan, Nour Aldin T Ahmed, Mohamed Wagdy, Youssef Heikal, Omar Fayez Abbas

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Aya Magdy SiamKasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-8616-6644
Elsayed S MoubarakKasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-6178-8183
Nour-Eldin MahmoudFaculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4127-2612
Hamza KhelifaFaculty of Medicine, University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran, Algeria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-4672-2410
Fatma AljalawyFaculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Abdelrahman A HassanKasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. abdulrahman_ah_mahmoud@students.kasralainy.edu.eg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-4341-7330
Nour Aldin T AhmedFaculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef university, Beni-Suef, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-7736-9660
Mohamed WagdyMedical Research Group of Egypt, Negida Academy LLC, Arlington, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0891-3561
Youssef HeikalDepartment of Otolaryngology, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-1094-6382
Omar Fayez AbbasFaculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that is a growing public health challenge. Recent evidence showed that gut microbiota dysbiosis is involved in the pathogenesis of PD, prompting interest in fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a potential disease-modifying intervention. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FMT in patients with PD.

methodsWe conducted a systematic literature review using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library till June 4, 2026, to identify RCTs comparing FMT with placebo or control interventions in PD. After removal of duplicates alongside title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening, seven randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis.

resultsA total of seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 318 subjects were analyzed. FMT was delivered via oral capsules, nasojejunal tubes, or colonoscopy, with follow-up periods ranging from 12 to 52 weeks. The meta-analysis indicated a notable short-term enhancement in daily motor activities, as assessed by MDSUPDRS Part II, after one month (mean difference - 2.19, 95% confidence interval - 4.32 to -0.06; P = 0.044). Nevertheless, no significant estimates were noted for MDS-UPDRS Part III, aggregate MDS-UPDRS scores, motor complications, non-motor symptoms, or overall life quality at any assessed time frame. Some individual studies reported gains in cognitive ability, anxious feelings, quality of life related to constipation, and certain PDQ-39 categories, although these improvements were not uniformly observed. Overall, FMT was well tolerated by participants, with adverse reactions mostly comprising mild, self-resolving gastrointestinal issues and no major safety risks.

conclusionsFMT is a safe treatment for individuals with PD and may offer modest short-term advantages in performing daily motor tasks. However, current evidence does not indicate lasting enhancements in overall motor capabilities, non-motor symptoms, or life quality. More extensive and sufficiently powered trials utilizing standardized FMT procedures and longer observation periods are necessary to elucidate the therapeutic benefits of FMT in Parkinson's disease.

Indexed as

Fecal Microbiota TransplantationParkinson DiseaseRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicHumansTreatment Outcomefecal microbiota transplantationgut–brain axisgut microbiotameta-analysisParkinson’s diseaserandomized controlled trialsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42533232

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.