In recent years, the presence and awareness of a connection between the intestines and the brain has expanded leading to the understanding of developed communication pathways between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Intestinal bacterial flora are active contributors to this axis through cellular signaling pathways and the release of immune system components, which fundamentally impact the function and action of various physiological systems. Interest in this area evolved through the understanding that various microbiota can produce neuroactive substances and neurotransmitters involved with the endocrine and autonomic nervous system pathways. This research has expanded to state that various bacterial products can influence cognitive functions, involving types of memory and problem-solving. Recent findings have begun to report on the impact that probiotic administration may have on mood, anxiety, and depression. Finally, recent work by Marotta et al. provided some of the first preliminary evidence that probiotic use may also impact mood and sleep quality. While initial work has developed this foundation, very little controlled research is available to help understand key contributing factors. For example, many key questions remain that future research should address to help better understand any impact probiotics may have on mood, depression, and anxiety. Some of these questions include:~Do all forms (genus, strain, etc.) of probiotics exert these impacts? How quickly do they exert impact? How large is the impact? Are certain aspect of affect more impacted than others? Once supplemented, how long is the residual impact (if there is any)? To help provided more guidance towards some of these basic research questions, this study is being proposed. The purpose of the study is to expand upon the previous work of Marotta et al. and determine the impact of probiotic administration on mood, depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep quality, and other personality traits in a larger group of healthy men and women. This study will expand on the supplementation regimen and include a wider variety of hormonal assessments than what has previously been completed using this combination of probiotics.
Researchers are looking to examine the impact of probiotic administration on symptoms commonly associated with depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, and associated emotional responses in healthy men and women.