Gut microbiota are suspected to affect brain functions and behavior as well as lowering inflammation status. Therefore, an effect on depression has already been suggested by recent research. The aim of this randomized double-blind controlled trial was to evaluate the effect of probiotic treatment in depressed individuals. Within inpatient care, 82 currently depressed individuals were randomly assigned to either receive a multistrain probiotic plus biotin treatment or biotin plus placebo for 28 days. Clinical symptoms as well as gut microbiome were analyzed at the begin of the study, after one and after four weeks. After 16S rRNA analysis, microbiome samples were bioinformatically explored using QIIME, SPSS, R and Piphillin. Both groups improved significantly regarding psychiatric symptoms. Ruminococcus gauvreauii and Coprococcus 3 were more abundant and β-diversity was higher in the probiotics group after 28 days. KEGG-analysis showed elevated inflammation-regulatory and metabolic pathways in the intervention group. The elevated abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria after probiotic treatment allows speculations on the functionality of probiotic treatment in depressed individuals. Furthermore, the finding of upregulated vitamin B6 and B7 synthesis underlines the connection between the quality of diet, gut microbiota and mental health through the regulation of metabolic functions, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. Concluding, four-week probiotic plus biotin supplementation, in inpatient individuals with a major depressive disorder diagnosis, showed an overall beneficial effect of clinical treatment. However, probiotic intervention compared to placebo only differed in microbial diversity profile, not in clinical outcome measures.

Substance use disorders (SUD) have been shown to be linked to various neuronal and behavioral impairments. In this study, we investigate whether there is a connection between the integrity of white matter (WM) and attachment styles as well as different affective states including spirituality in a group of patients diagnosed for poly-drug use disorder (PUD) in comparison to non-clinical controls. A total sample of 59 right-handed men, comprising the groups of patients with PUD (n = 19), recreational drug-using individuals (RUC; n = 20) as well as non-drug using controls were recruited (NUC; n = 20). For the behavioral assessment, we applied the Adult Attachment-Scale, the Affective Neuroscience Personality-Scale (short version) and the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was used to investigate differences in WM neural connectivity. Analyses revealed decreased Fractional Anisotropy and decreased Mean Diffusivity in PUD patients as compared to RUC and NUC. No differences were found between RUC and NUC. Additional ROI analyses suggested that WM impairment in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the superior corona radiata (SCR) was linked to more insecure attachment as well as to more negative affectivity. No substantial correlation was observed with spirituality. These findings are mainly limited by the cross-sectional design of the study. However, our preliminary results support the idea of addiction as an attachment disorder, both at neuronal and behavioral levels. Further research might be focused on the changes of insecure attachment patterns in SUD treatment and their correlation with changes in the brain.

The use of nutritional interventions in psychiatry equips therapists with a promising tool for both the prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Besides pharmacological therapy, psychotherapy and physical activity, nutritional interventions are an important pillar in the multifactorial, biopsychosocial treatment of psychiatric disease and could be used as a potential therapeutic target.

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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent disease, in which one third of sufferers do not respond to antidepressants. Probiotics have the potential to be well-tolerated and cost-efficient treatment options. However, the molecular pathways of their effects are not fully elucidated yet. Based on previous literature, we assume that probiotics can positively influence inflammatory mechanisms. We aimed at analyzing the effects of probiotics on gene expression of inflammation genes as part of the randomized, placebo-controlled, multispecies probiotics PROVIT study in Graz, Austria. Fasting blood of 61 inpatients with MDD was collected before and after four weeks of probiotic intake or placebo. We analyzed the effects on gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In IL-6 we found no significant main effects for group (F(1,44) = 1.33, p = ns) nor time (F(1,44) = 0.00, p = ns), but interaction was significant (F(1,44) = 5.67, p < 0.05). The intervention group showed decreasing IL-6 gene expression levels while the placebo group showed increasing gene expression levels of IL-6. Probiotics could be a useful additional treatment in MDD, due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Results of the current study are promising, but further studies are required to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic interventions in depressed individuals.