Probiotics and vitamin D supplementation may benefit cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, new research published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports suggests.
Manipulating the gut microbiome and providing vitamin D can reduce psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In the current study, we sought to evaluate the effects of probiotic/vitamin D supplementation on cognitive function and disease severity in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, 70 patients with schizophrenia (aged 18–65 years) were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to a placebo group (n = 35) and an intervention group (probiotic supplement + 400 IU vitamin D, n = 35). Disease severity and cognitive function (primary outcomes) were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tests, respectively. Additionally, lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), gastrointestinal (GI) issues, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were assessed as secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 69 patients completed the study. MoCA score increased by 1.96 units in the probiotic-containing supplement group compared to placebo (p = 0.004). Additionally, the proportion of subjects with a MoCA score of 26 or higher increased significantly in the intervention group (p = 0.031). Additionally, TC (p = 0.011), FBS (p = 0.009), and CRP (p < 0.001) were significantly decreased in the supplement group compared to placebo. Probiotic supplementation lowered PANSS scores by 2.82 units, but the difference between study groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.247). Coadministration of probiotics and vitamin D has a beneficial effect on improving cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.
reference:
Mohammadi A, Sadighi G, Nazeri Astaneh A, Tajabadi-Ebrahimi M, Dejam T. Coadministration of probiotics and vitamin D significantly improves cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. . Neuropsychopharmacol Rep. 2024; 00:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.12431
keyword:
Supplements, probiotics, vitamin D, benefits, cognition, function, patients with schizophrenia, Mohammadi A, Sadighi G, Nazeri Astaneh A, Tajabadi Ebrahimi M, Dejam T, Neuropsychopharmacology report
