Evidence mapPaperPMID 42088008Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2026

Neurobiological effects of microbial treatments within psychiatry: a systematic review.

Cassandra Sgarbossa, Evan Forth, Scott Squires, Ashley Groth, Maria Farid, Katherine Gallant, Dharmayu Desai, William Redfearn, Roumen Milev

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

9 authors.

Cassandra SgarbossaCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Evan ForthCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Scott SquiresCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Ashley GrothDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Maria FaridDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Katherine GallantProvidence Care Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Dharmayu DesaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
William RedfearnDepartment of Psychiatry, 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

Objective: Though microbial interventions such as probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation have had a growing body of evidence suggesting their efficacy in alleviating the symptoms of psychiatric illnesses, their exact mechanisms of action and impacts on the brain are still not fully characterized. The aim of this review is to compile and summarize the current literature regarding neurobiological changes associated with microbial interventions targeting psychiatric symptoms in healthy and psychiatric populations. Methods: A systematic search of four databases was conducted using key terms related to neuroimaging, microbial interventions, and psychiatric illnesses and/or symptoms. All results were then evaluated based on specific eligibility criteria. Results: 10 studies met eligibility criteria and were included in this systematic review. Three of the five healthy control studies and all five of the studies conducted within psychiatric populations, observed significant neurobiological changes associated with probiotic intervention either in areas with psychiatric relevance, in the direction of a healthier profile, or correlated with improved psychiatric and/or affective symptoms. The interventions used in these studies consisted of probiotics with bacterial species primarily from the Conclusions: The findings from this review suggest that probiotic intervention may be associated with neurobiological changes, and that these changes could play a role in ameliorating psychiatric symptoms. More research is needed to replicate these findings, explore other psychiatric populations and microbial interventions, and fully elucidate the mechanisms driving these promising neurobiological and clinical changes.

Indexed as

gut-brain axisgut microbiomeimagingprobioticspsychiatry

Identifiers

PMID42088008
PMCPMC13137161

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.