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. 2022 Jan 30;14(3):614. doi: 10.3390/nu14030614

Table 2.

Characteristics of the cognition studies included in the systematic review.

Study Intervention Type Delivery Method Active Compound Dose Frequency (Dose/Day) Duration (Days) Active/
Control		 Mean Age Sex (M/F) Cognitive Tool Cognitive
Function		 Effect WITHIN-G Effect BETWEEN-G Participants Risk of Bias
Adikari et al. (2020) [55] probiotic liquid (orange juice) Lactobacillus Casei Shirota 3 × 1010 CFU 1 56 10/9 19 19/0 DVT-RT sustained attention/vigilance/visual-motor tracking + ↓ right-handed football players
Bos et al. (2015) [74] prebiotic fortified margarine DHA & EPA 650 mg each 1 112 19 ADHD PRO 10.6 76/0 CBCL-AP attention + ↓(ADHDvsRG) ↓(PROvsPBO) ADHD children either medication naïve or using metylphenidate
19 ADHD PBO GO/NO-GO TASK inhibitory control ns ns
20 RG PRO
18 RG PBO
Capitao et al. (2020) [75] prebiotic sachet B-GOS - 1 84 17/18 8.84 24/11 BAS-III literacy + ns children with below-average literacy skills
CogTrack memory retrieval speed + ns
Cornu et al. (2018) [76] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 6–8 yo: 84 mg & 336 mg 1 91 71/77 9.9 127/35 Aloulette test lexical age - ns ADHD children
9–11 yo: 126 mg & 504 mg KiTAP (6–10 yo)/TAP (11–15 yo) distractibility (6–11 yo only) - ns
12–15 yo: 168 mg & 672 mg flexibility - ns
inhibitory control (go/no-go RTs) - ↓ RTs
Chong et al. (2019) [56] probiotic sachet Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 1 × 109 CFU 1 84 27/32 24.8 - CBB psychomotor control - ns stressed healthy subjects
basic attention - ns
visual learning & memory - ns
working memory - ns
executive function - ns
social emotional cognition - ns
associate learning - ns
verbal learning and memory - ns
Karr et al. (2012) [77] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 240 mg & 360 mg 2 28 20 /21 20.1 12/29 RAVLT verbal learning and memory ns ns college students
SCWT inhibitory control ns ns
TMT executive control ns ↑
Kelly et al. (2017) [63] probiotic capsules Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1 × 109 CFU 1 28 15/14 24.6 29/0 CANTAB associate learning + ns healthy subjects
attention + ns
visual speed processing + ns
emotional attentional bias ns ns
Kennedy et al. (2009) [78] prebiotic capsules DHA 200 mg 2 (400 mg) 56 28 10.8 44/42 CDR general cognitive functions + ↓word recognition speed in 400 mg pre&post breakfast ↑ in 1000 mg pre-breakfast healthy children
DHA 200 mg 5 (1000 mg) 30 internet battery - -
PBO 30
Liu et al. (2019) [65] probiotic capsules Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 3 × 1010 CFU - 30 36/35 10.01 71/0 CBCL-AP attention - ns ASD children
Milte et al. (2012) [79] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 108 mg & 1109 mg 1 121 24 8.9 70/17 * WIAT-III/WSCI-III literacy - ns ADHD
DHA & EPA 1032 mg & 264 mg 1 19 TEAC attention and inhibition - ns
safflower oil (control) 1467 mg 1 24
Milte et al. (2015) [80] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 108 mg & 1109 mg 1 121*3 56 8.9 67/20 * WIAT-III/WSCI-III literacy +(spelling) ns ADHD
DHA & EPA 1032 mg & 264 mg 1 54 TEAC attention and inhibition +(attention) ns
safflower oil (control) 1467 mg 1 57
Widenhorn-Müller et al. (2014) [81] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 600 mg & 120 mg 1 112 46/49 8.9 74/21 HAWIK-IV working memory - ↓ ADHD
speed of information processing - ns
KITAP/TAP attention - ns
CBCL AP attention NA ns
Papalini et al. (2019) [67] probiotic powder Bifidobacterium bifidum W23, Bifidobacterium lactis W51, Bifidobacterium lactis W52, Lactobacillus acidophilus W37, Lactobacillus brevis W63, Lactobacillus casei W56, Lactobacillus salivarius W24, Lactococcus lactis W19, Lactococcus lactis W58 2.5 × 109 2 28 29/29 21.5 0/58 emotional face-matching emotional reactivity + ns healthy subjects
emotional face-word stroop resolution of emotional conflicts + ns
color-word stroop cognitive inhibition + ns
digit span backward test working memory +after stress ↓(after stress)
Portillo-Reyes et al. (2014) [82] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA 60 mg & 90 mg 3 91 30/20 9.2 29/21 symbolic search processing speed + ↓ healthy children
embedded figures test/visual closure visuoperceptive integration + ↓
semantic fluency/comprehension instruction language +semantic fluency (fruit) ns
block design/TMT A visuomotor coordination +block design ↓block design
matrix reasoning/stroop colour word/TMT B/letter-number sequencing executive functions +letter-number seq, matrix reasoning, stroop ↓matrix reasoning, stroop
letter cancellation attention + ns
rey complex figure/word list visual & verbal memory +verbal recall & recognition ns
Richardson et al. (2012) [83] prebiotic capsules DHA 200 mg 3 112 179/180 8.6 192/170 BAS-II reading +very poor readers only ↓poor and very poor readers only healthy children
DS-FW/DS-BW working memory ns ↓ forward recall
Schmidt et al. (2015) [68] prebiotic powder FOS 5500 mg 1 21 15 23.7 22/23 Attentional dot-probe task attention - ↓GOS only, unmasked condition healthy subjects
B-GOS 15 facial expression recognition/emotional word recognition and recall emotional cognition - ns
PBO 15
Steenbergen et al. (2015) [84] probiotic powder Bifidobacterium bifidum W23, Bifidobacterium lactis W51, Bifidobacterium lactis W52, Lactobacillus acidophilus W37, Lactobacillus brevis W63, Lactobacillus casei W56, Lactobacillus salivarius W24, Lactococcus lactis W19, Lactococcus lactis W58 2.5 × 109 CFU 2 28 20/20 19.9 8/32 LEIDS-r cognitive reactivity to sad mood + ↓particularly aggressive and ruminative thoughts healthy subjects
Vesco et al. (2018) [85] prebiotic capsules DHA & EPA and others 50 mg & 350 mg & 67 mg 2 84 23 11.2 54/41 BRIEF Executive functions + ↓ children with depression/mood disorders
PUFAs + PEP 22
PEP + PBO 26
PBO 24
Voigt et al. (2000) [86] prebiotic capsules DHA 345 mg 3 121 25/24 9.3 42/12 * TOVA sustained attention + ns ADHD
CCT visual attention, sequencing, psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility ns ns
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↓: Improvement vs. placebo; ↑: diminishment vs. placebo; ns: no significant effect; +: improvement of performance vs. baseline; -: not reported or not applicable; dose refers to the amount of active compound. DVT: digit vigilance test, RT: reaction times, DHA: docosahexaenoic acid; EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; FOS: fructooligosaccharides; B-GOS: Bimuno®-galactooligosaccharides; PRO: probiotics; PBO: placebo; RG: reference group; CBCL-AP: Child Behavior Checklist—Attentional Problems; KiTAP: Test of Attentional Performance for Children; TAP: Test of Attentional Performance; CBB: Computerized CogState Brief Battery; RAVLT: Auditory Verbal Learning Test; SCWT: Stroop Color and Word Test; TMT: Trial-Making Test; CANTAB: Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery; CDR: Cognitive Drug Research Battery; WIAT: Wechsler Individual Achievement Test; WSCI: Wechsler Scale of Children Intelligence; TEAC: Test of Everyday Attention for Children; HAWIK: Hamburg Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, BAS: British Ability Scale; DS-FW: digit-span forward; DS-BW: digit-span backward; LEIDS-r: Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity—Revised; BRIEF: Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions; TOVA: Test of Variables of Attention; CCT: Children’s Colors Trials test. * As measured at baseline.