Bifidobacteria modulate cognitive processes in an anxious mouse strain

Alzheimer’s disease and gut microbiota

“…Other studies have shown that Lactobacillus helveticus fermented milk could significantly improves the learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine in mice (Ohsawa et al, 2015). Bifidobacterium longum 1714 could obviously increase the learning and memory ability displayed in object recognition, Barnes maze and fear conditioning test (Savignac et al, 2015). In a human study of healthy women volunteers, consumption of fermented milk product with probiotics changed the intrinsic activity of resting brain, displaying affected activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation assessed by neuroimaging using fMRI (Tillisch et al, 2013).…”

Gutsy Moves: The Amygdala as a Critical Node in Microbiota to Brain Signaling

“…[97,98] While there have also [5,9,10,88,90] Anxiolytic effects, sometimes sex-specific, in mice (light-dark box, elevated-plus maze) [72,113] Anxiolytic effects in mice (open field, defensive marble burying, elevated-plus maze, light-dark box) [91,93] Strain-specific anxiolytic effects in humans (e.g., Beck Anxiety Index, Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale) and rodents (defensive marble burying, elevated-plus maze, open field) [11,62,133,134] Transplant from humans with depression or comorbid IBS and anxiety increases anxietylike behavior in mice (open field, step-down test, light-dark box) [96,125] Heightened anxiety in rats (open field) [89] Depression Increased depressive-like behavior in mice (forced swim) [90] Increased depressive-like behavior in rats (forced swim) [94] Antidepressant effects in mice and rats (forced swim, tail suspension, learned helplessness after inescapable shock) [91,92] Strain-specific antidepressant effects in humans (e.g. Beck Depression Inventory, Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale) and rodents (tail suspension test, forced swim, sucrose preference) [11,97,98,133,134] Transplant from depressed human donors induces depressive-like behavior in mice (sucrose preference, forced swim [varied results], tail suspension test) [90,96] Learned fear Impaired fear recall in adult mice [101] Acute administration enhances fear extinction in rodents and exposure therapy in humans, [103,104] reduces fear recall in humans [102] Enhanced fear learning and memory or slow fear extinction in adult rats [62,105] Re...…”

“…Administration of probiotic Bifidobacteria strains has been shown to enhance both contextual and cued fear conditioning as well as contextual fear recall. [105] The effects of probiotics on extinction of learned fear responses have been more mixed in adult rodents. The Bifidobacteria strains had no effect on fear extinction, [105] whereas a Lactobacillus strain slowed extinction learning in adult mice although anxiety-like behavior was reduced following treatment.…”

“…[105] The effects of probiotics on extinction of learned fear responses have been more mixed in adult rodents. The Bifidobacteria strains had no effect on fear extinction, [105] whereas a Lactobacillus strain slowed extinction learning in adult mice although anxiety-like behavior was reduced following treatment. [62] Most recently, it has been shown that immunization with a heat-killed bacterium (Mycobacterium vaccae) accelerates extinction learning in adult rats.…”

Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 and other probiotics in the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Strain specificity, symptoms, and mechanisms

“…review by Moloney et al 23 . Unfortunately, actions or effects observed in pre-clinical models do not always translate to humans; some work [24][25][26] , some do not 27,28 . While pre-clinical studies are useful in initial strain selection, only mechanisms of action studies in humans, as well as high quality clinical trials, can be used to support clinical claims.…”