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• A study published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports indicates that supplementation with probiotics and vitamin D supports cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.
• Schizophrenia is a mental illness that often causes impairment of memory, concentration and learning ability.
• The use of supplements can complement traditional pharmacological treatment and psychotherapy.
• Scientists emphasize the need for further research to confirm the effectiveness and determine the optimal doses of such preparations.

The authors of the study, scientists from Iran, point out that previous studies have suggested a positive effect of probiotics with vitamin D on mental health. This may be due to the fact that probiotics contribute to increasing vitamin D levels in the body and the number of its receptors in cells. Vitamin D, in turn, may have a beneficial effect on mental health by increasing the bioavailability of dopamine in the brain.

A team of researchers from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Tehran set out to test the effects of a probiotic and vitamin D supplement on the cognitive performance of people with schizophrenia. To do this, 70 adults (aged 18-65) with the condition were randomly assigned to either a probiotic supplement with vitamin D (400 international units) or a placebo. The study lasted 12 weeks.

During this time, they were assessed using standard tests to assess the severity of their disease symptoms (PANSS Positive and Negative Symptom Scale) and their cognitive abilities, i.e. intellectual performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test - MoCA).

Sixty-nine patients completed the study. Cognitive test scores increased by an average of nearly 2 units (1.96) in the probiotics with vitamin D group compared to the placebo control group. The percentage of individuals who scored 26 or higher on the MoCa test (indicating normal cognitive performance) also increased significantly in the supplement group.

There were no differences between groups in terms of disease severity.

However, the following decreased:

• C-reactive protein level, which is an indicator of inflammatory processes,
• total cholesterol level
• and fasting glucose levels.

According to the authors, these results indicate that administering probiotics along with vitamin D may contribute to improved cognitive performance in people with schizophrenia. The researchers speculate that this occurs, in part, by influencing the composition of the gut microflora.

This is important because, as research shows, the use of antipsychotic drugs by patients with schizophrenia may cause changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, which in turn may negatively affect brain function.

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