Table A.5.
Non-Human Study Quality and Risk of Bias Assessment*.
| Reference | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total Scorea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat (Rattus) | |||||||||||||
| (Nimgampalle and Kuna, 2017) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Liang et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| (Abildgaard et al., 2017a) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| (Abildgaard et al., 2017b) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| (Tillmann et al., 2018) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| (Messaoudi et al., 2011a) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| (Desbonnet et al., 2008) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Liang et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Beilharz et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Davari et al., 2013) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Goudarzvand et al., 2016) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Jeong et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Wang et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Distrutti et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Arseneault-Breard et al., 2012) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| (Luo et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Callaghan et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Cowan et al., 2016) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| (Desbonnet et al., 2010) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| (Gilbert et al., 2013) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (McKernan et al., 2010) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Vanhaecke et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Athari Nik Azm et al., 2018) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| (McVey Neufeld et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Mouse (Mus) | |||||||||||||
| (Musa et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Guida et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Jeong et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Dhaliwal et al., 2018) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Divyashri et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| (Hsiao et al., 2013) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Bharwani et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Emge et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| (Bercik et al., 2010) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| (Bercik et al., 2011) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| (Savignac et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Mohle et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| (Gareau et al., 2011) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Smith et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| (Woo et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Buffington et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (D'Mello et al., 2015) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| (Savignac et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Bravo et al., 2011) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Kantak et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| (Xiao et al., 2014) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| (Tian et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Ohland et al., 2013) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Liu et al., 2016a) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| (Liu et al., 2016b) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Sun et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | |||||||||||||
| (Davis et al., 2016a) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| (Davis et al., 2016b) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| (Schneider et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| (Borrelli et al., 2016) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| (Lim et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Quail (Coturnix japonica) | |||||||||||||
| (Parois et al., 2017) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Abbreviations: NA = Not Applicable
Mean total score = 6.5 (SD 1.3). Interquartile range 5.5-7.5.
Study quality was assessed with a modified scale reported by Macleod et al. (2004). Our customized scale was operationalized as 1 = Yes, 0 = No or Unsure, NA = Not Applicable for each item as follows: 1) compliance with animal welfare regulations; 2) comprehensive statement of environmental control (temperature, handling, etc.); 3) confirmation of probiotic activity prior to administration; 4) exact animal strain and experimental paradigm noted; 5) exact probiotic treatment (including substrain) noted; 6) control group received probiotic vehicle; 7) individuals administering probiotic were blind to treatment groups; 8) behavioral assays conducted blind to treatment; 9) animals tested in a random order when conducting multiple behavioral assays; 10) a priori power analyses for treatment group sample sizes; 11) a priori primary and secondary outcomes; and 12) acknowledged conflicts of interest or lack thereof.