Effects of Treatment with Probiotics on Cognitive Function and Regulatory Role of Cortisol and IL-1β in Adolescent Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics on cognitive function and the regulation of cortisol and IL-1 beta in adolescents with depression. All 180 participants were randomly assigned to a study group (treated with probiotics combined with sertraline hydrochloride) and a control group (treated with sertraline hydrochloride). The repetitive Neuropsychological State Test (RBANS) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were administered to MDD patients. The levels of serum cortisol and IL-1 beta were detected using an ELISA kit. Except for speech function, factors including immediate memory, visual span, attention function, delayed memory, and the RBANS in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The levels of cortisol and interleukin-1 beta in the study group were significantly downregulated compared to those in the control group. Except for speech function, the cortisol level was negatively correlated with the RBANS total score and other factors in the study group. Interleukin-1 beta was also negatively correlated with the RBANS total score and each factor score. Cortisol and interleukin-1 beta were predictors of the RBANS total score, which explained 46.80% of the variance. Cortisol had significant predictive effects on attention function and delayed memory, and interleukin-1 beta had significant predictive effects on visual span and speech function. It could be concluded that probiotics could improve cognitive function in adolescents with depression by regulating cortisol and IL-1 beta levels.