Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis explores the effects of dietary probiotic administration in anxiety-like behaviour and cognitive functioning. Desbonnet et al (2008) reported degradation of serotonin in the frontal cortex following dietary probiotic administration implicating cognition and anxiety-like behaviour. Therefore, the effects of direct serotonin manipulation on behaviour were examined in parallel to probiotic treatment. \nIdentification of a task reliant on both frontal lobe and serotonergic functioning lead to the use of the probabilistic reversal learning task. Probiotic treatment did not produce effects on this task. Exploration of the effect of probiotic treatment on a watermaze reversal learning paradigm, known to be reliant on frontal lobe and hippocampal functioning indicated improvements with probiotic treatment. Further examination of this improvement in memory was explored in a novel object discrimination task and found to be significantly improved following probiotic treatment. These results produce clear indication the probiotic treatment improves aspects of learning and memory. \nThe effects of dietary probiotics on anxiety-like behaviour were also explored. The results from the behavioural data indicated that these tests did not assess the same facet of emotional behaviour therefore conclusions could not be drawn on the effects of probiotic on anxiety-like behaviour. \nExaminations of the effects of probiotics at a cellular level were conducted through the use of H1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results from this illustrate distinct alterations in the metabolite profile following probiotic treatment. The finding from this study provide a new rational for the further exploration of the effects of probiotic treatment on behaviour and cognition.
Author: Caroline O’Hagan
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1817626574