Acute and Chronic Effects of Ecologic Barrier© on Mood and Cognition

The Acute and Chronic Effects of Ecologic Barrier© on Mood and Cognition

This study aims to investigate the acute and chronic effects of an 8 week probiotic intervention (Ecologic Barrier©) on mood and cognitive outcomes in healthy adults.

This study will employ a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled crossover design to investigate the acute and chronic effects of an 8 week probiotic intervention (Ecologic Barrier©) on mood and cognitive outcomes in healthy older adults. A total of 30 participants will be enrolled and counterbalanced to receive the active probiotic treatment (2g per day Ecologic Barrier©) or a matched placebo in the first arm, before having a 4 week washout period and continuing with 8 weeks of the second treatment not consumed within the first arm. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, 24 hours and 8 weeks within each arm. These will include cognitive measures of affective processing, immediate and delayed verbal memory, visuospatial working memory and executive functions, and mood measures of depressive symptoms, cognitive reactivity, anxiety, stress and general mood. In addition, faecal samples will be collected at all timepoints in order to explore faecal microbiota profiles before and after probiotic treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 65 - 80
• Agree not to not consume probiotic or prebiotic supplements or live yoghurt throughout the course of study.
• Proficient in the English language

Exclusion Criteria:

• Already a habitual user of probiotics
• Antibiotic treatment within last 3 months
• Current diagnosis of and not currently receiving treatment for mental health disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorder
• Allergic to any ingredient of the active or placebo treatment
• Regular smoker
• Diabetes mellitus