Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41601518›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2025

Assessing the long-term effects of microbial therapeutics as treatment within psychiatry: a systematic review.

Cassandra Sgarbossa, Arthi Chinna Meyyappan, Evan Forth, Hayley Bromley, Roumen Milev

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Cassandra SgarbossaCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Arthi Chinna MeyyappanCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Evan ForthCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Hayley BromleyCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Roumen MilevCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The management and treatment of psychiatric disorders by manipulating the gut microbiome and utilizing microbial therapeutics, via modulation of the gut-brain-axis, has been a rapidly growing field of research. Given the novelty of using microbial therapeutics within psychiatry, a growing number of studies have investigated their use as treatment for various psychiatric disorders and symptoms. However, few studies have explored the longitudinal efficacy of these treatments. This review aims to summarize the findings of any studies assessing the long-term effects of gut-related interventions on mood and psychiatric symptoms. Methods: A systematic search of 4 databases (Embase, PsycINFO, Medline, Web of Science) from inception to May 28, 2025, informed by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and using key words relating to microbial therapeutics, psychiatric disorders, and long-term effects was conducted. Findings were included or excluded using pre-determined eligibility criteria such as being been written in English and published by a peer-reviewed journal, assessed for quality using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Risk of Bias tool, and qualitatively evaluated. Results: The search yielded 4175 studies, of which 1274 duplicates were removed. All remaining studies underwent abstract screening, from which 70 records were full-text screened and a total of ten clinical studies ( Conclusions: Overall, this review highlighted the need for more placebo-controlled studies with larger sample sizes to effectively evaluate the longitudinal potential of microbial therapeutics as treatment for mood-disturbances and psychiatric symptoms. With consideration for the limitations of this field, these results provide evidence that there may be long-term benefits of targeting the gut microbiome as treatment for mood-related disturbances.

Indexed as

fecal microbiota transplantationlongitudinal effectsmicrobial therapeuticsmood disordersnovel treatmentsprobioticspsychiatric symptomsquality of life

Identifiers

PMID41601518
PMCPMC12833067

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.