Therapeutic effects of probiotics on symptoms of irritability/emotional lability associated with neurodevelopmental conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials
Ping-Wen Huang , Chen Chia-Min , Cheuk-Kwan Sun , Yu-Shian Cheng , Yen-Hsiang Tang , Cheng Liu , Kuo-Chuan Hung
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Abstract
Objectives
The current study aimed at investigating the efficacies of probiotics in alleviating the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with a neurodevelopmental condition.
Methods
Randomized placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major electronic databases from inception to December, 2023. The outcome of interests included improvements in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability. Outcomes were quantitatively expressed as effect size (ES) based on standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 % confidence interval (CI).
Results
Seven studies with 1479 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The primary results revealed a significant improvement in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions receiving probiotics compared with the placebos (SMD= −0.17, p = 0.03). Subgroup analyses demonstrated an association between a significant improvement in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability and the use probiotics relative to placebos only in studies using multiple-strain probiotics (SMD=-0.19, p = 0.04, three studies with 452 participant) but not in those adopting single-strain regimens.
Conclusions
Our study supported the use of probiotics for alleviating the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions, mainly in those receiving multiple-strain probiotics as supplements. Nevertheless, the limited number of studies targeting irritability as their primary outcomes, and most did not investigate other confounding factors such as dietary habits or consumption of other nutritional supplements may impair the robustness of evidence. Our results, which were derived from a limited number of available trials, warrant further large-scale clinical investigations for verification.
期刊介绍：
Complementary Therapies in Medicine is an international, peer-reviewed journal that has considerable appeal to anyone who seeks objective and critical information on complementary therapies or who wishes to deepen their understanding of these approaches. It will be of particular interest to healthcare practitioners including family practitioners, complementary therapists, nurses, and physiotherapists; to academics including social scientists and CAM researchers; to healthcare managers; and to patients. Complementary Therapies in Medicine aims to publish valid, relevant and rigorous research and serious discussion articles with the main purpose of improving healthcare.
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