Probiotic linked to better cognitive test results — ScienceAlert
In South Korea, a 24-week clinical trial involving older people with early cognitive impairment found that daily intake of a multi-strain probiotic was associated with better results on some cognitive tests. The group receiving the supplement also had a significant reduction in plasma pTau181 levels, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease, ScienceAlert reports.
How the study was conducted
The trial took place within the South Korean longitudinal Gwangju Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias cohort. It involved 87 people: 40 completed the 24-week probiotic course, while 47 received placebo. Initially, 100 participants were randomized in the study. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was receiving the supplement and who was receiving placebo.
The probiotic, codenamed KL-P301, contained three bacterial strains, including Bifidobacterium animalis, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Levilactobacillus brevis. Participants could consume the powder separately or dissolve it in water.
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Changes in indicators
At the end of the study, participants in the probiotic group had significantly better results on the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Results also improved on tasks involving interpretation of visual information, spatial organization, and drawing complex figures, although not all comparisons with the placebo group were statistically significant.
pTau181 is a phosphorylated form of the tau protein measured in blood; its level may reflect changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. In dementia, tau proteins can fold abnormally and form aggregates in brain cells. The authors emphasize that the results do not prove a direct reduction of such aggregates in the brain as a result of taking probiotics.
Changes in most inflammation markers were small, but IL-1β levels in the probiotic group decreased more than in the placebo group. The researchers consider the results preliminary and call for larger and longer trials using PET imaging of tau protein and amyloid β.
