The Effect of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Symptoms of Mental Disorders

The bidirectional interaction between the gut, its microbiota, and the brain has been actively studied in the last decade. It is shown that microbiota plays an important role in the development and functioning of the human nervous system. Approximately one in eight people worldwide suffers from mental disorders. In 2013, the separate term psychobiotics was introduced to describe probiotics that provide health benefits for patients with mental illnesses. This review considers current clinical trials devoted to the use of probiotics in the treatment of various mental and neurodegenerative disorders. The existing data in the scientific literature are analyzed, highlighting the potential of psychobiotics as a new approach for correcting psychiatric symptoms; the existing challenges and future prospects are outlined.