TABLE 1.
Backgrounds of the subjectsa
| Parameter | Placebo group (n = 24) | L. casei strain Shirota group (n = 23) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 22.8 ± 0.3 | 22.8 ± 0.4 | 0.98 |
| Sex (male/female) | 13/11 | 12/11 | |
| BMI | 20.5 ± 0.4 | 20.8 ± 0.4 | 0.63 |
| STAI-state score | 40.0 ± 1.5 | 42.0 ± 1.9 | 0.41 |
| STAI-trait score | 43.7 ± 1.7 | 45.9 ± 2.2 | 0.42 |
| GHQ-28 score | 4.8 ± 0.7 | 5.0 ± 0.8 | 0.82 |
| HPI score | 4.8 ± 0.3 | 4.9 ± 0.3 | 0.85 |
| NEO-FFI | |||
| Neuroticism | 24.9 ± 1.4 | 25.3 ± 1.4 | 0.85 |
| Extraversion | 27.4 ± 1.4 | 27.0 ± 1.1 | 0.82 |
| Openness | 29.5 ± 1.2 | 27.7 ± 1.3 | 0.30 |
| Agreeableness | 30.8 ± 1.0 | 29.0 ± 1.0 | 0.24 |
| Conscientiousness | 26.6 ± 1.3 | 26.2 ± 1.3 | 0.84 |
| Salivary cortisol (ng/ml) | 1.5 ± 0.2 | 1.5 ± 0.2 | 0.94 |
a
Values indicate means ± SE. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon's rank sum test for the questionnaire score and by the unpaired Student's t test for the others.