Treatment of ADHD with synbiotics (probiotics plus prebiotics)

ISRCTN ISRCTN57795429
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN57795429
Secondary identifying numbers BAMBA_1
Submission date
11/04/2019
Registration date
02/05/2019
Last edited
03/03/2025
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
The bacteria in the gut are known to influence the brain and behaviour in animal models. Gut symptoms are common in ADHD and autism. The study aim is to explore if a food supplement with anti-inflammatory lactic acid bacteria and fibers attenuates psychiatric symptoms and functioning in persons with ADHD.

Who can participate?
Those with an ADHD diagnosis and no autism diagnosis aged 5-55 years and understanding Swedish.

What does the study involve?
Nine weeks with daily intake of 10 g of food supplement or placebo, a 30 minutes interview with a research nurse on psychiatric health and answering questionnaires on psychiatric health, as well as sampling of blood, urine and feces at start and after the 9 weeks.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Benefits: the treatment may improve the symptoms and functioning. It is possible for anyone to continue the treatment after the trial since the food supplement is commercially publicly available. Risks: no side effects have been reported for this food supplement.

Where is the study run from?
Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study started in 2016 and the last sampling was done in August 2018.

Who is funding the study?
The Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Brain Foundation, Ekhaga Foundation and PRIMA child and adult psychiatry Stockholm AB.

Who is the main contact?
Associate Professor Catharina Lavebratt
Catharina.Lavebratt@ki.se

Study website

Contact information

Prof Catharina Lavebratt
Scientific

Karolinska hospital L8:00
Stockholm
17176
Sweden

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0003-4987-2718
Phone +46851776524
Email catharina.lavebratt@ki.se

Study information

Study designInterventional study, multicenter double-blinded parallel randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised parallel trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a participant information sheet.
Scientific titleRandomized placebo-controlled trial in children and adults with ADHD of the effect of Synbiotic2000Forte on symptoms and function.
Study acronymBAMBA
Study hypothesisSynbiotic2000Forte improves symptoms and/or function in ADHD
Ethics approval(s)Approved 24/07/2015 and 23/02/2017, The Regional Review Board, Stockholm (The Swedish Review Board, Box 2110, 750 02 Uppsala; +4610-4750800; registrator@etikprovning.se), ref: 2015/884-31/1 and 2017/91-31.
ConditionAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
InterventionSynbiotic2000 or placebo, 1 bag daily, 9 weeks treatment, follow-up for both treatments. Randomisation by external in blocks of 10 by external unit.

Active treatment: Synbiotic being is a composition of 4x10exp(11) CFU per dose of three lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus 5-33:3/16:1 (Strain deposit number: LMG P20608), Lactobacillus casei ssp paracasei F19 (LMG P-17806), Lactobacillus plantarum 2362 (LMG P-20606), and 2.5 g of each of the fermentable fibers betaglucan, inulin, pectin and resistant starch.

Placebo 10 g
One dose per day oral intake on foods for 9 weeks
Intervention typeSupplement
Primary outcome measure1. Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity is measured using ASRS for adults and SNAP-IV for children at baseline and 12 weeks.
2. Symptoms of autism is measured using AQ for adults and SCQ for children at baseline and 12 weeks.
3. Function is measured using WFIRS at baseline and 12 weeks.
Secondary outcome measures1. Emotional regulation is measured in adults using DERS-16 at baseline and 12 weeks.
2. Insomnia is measured using KSQ for adults and ISI for children at baseline and 12 weeks.
3. Well-being is measured in adults using the well-being scale at baseline and 12 weeks.
4. Gastrointestional symptoms is measured using the Bristol Stool Scale and one pain question at baseline and 12 weeks.
5. Plasma immune activity markers is measured using multiplex immunoassays at baseline and 12 weeks.
6. Plasma bacterial metabolites e.g. short chain fatty acids is measured using LC-MS/MS at baseline and 12 weeks.
7. Feces microbiome is measured using shot gun sequencing at baseline and 12 weeks.
Overall study start date20/08/2015
Overall study end date24/08/2018

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupMixed
SexBoth
Target number of participants248
Total final enrolment182
Participant inclusion criteria1. ADHD diagnosis
2. Swedish speaker
3. Aged 5-55 years old
Participant exclusion criteria1. Autism diagnosis
2. Gastrointestinal diagnosis other than IBS
3. Diabetes
4. Antibiotic drug treatment last six weeks
Recruitment start date10/01/2016
Recruitment end date20/08/2018

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Sweden

Study participating centre

PRIMA child adolescent and adult psychiatry
Götgatan 71
Stockholm
11621
Sweden

Sponsor information

Karolinska Institutet
University/education

L1:03
Stockholm
171 76
Sweden

Phone +46851770000
Email info@ki.se
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/04hmgwg30

Funders

Funder type

Government

Vetenskapsrådet
Government organisation / National government
Alternative name(s)
Swedish Research Council, VR
Location
Sweden
Hjärnfonden
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Alternative name(s)
Brain Foundation
Location
Sweden
Ekhaga Foundation

No information available

PRIMA psychiatry AB

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date20/05/2019
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryOther
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication after anonymisation.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article Symptoms and daily functioning 01/10/2020 26/10/2020 Yes No
Results article Plasma immune activity markers and short-chain fatty acids 06/03/2023 14/06/2023 Yes No
Results article Bacterial gut microbiome 20/03/2023 03/03/2025 Yes No
Results article Plasma concentrations of short-chain fatty acids 03/03/2025 Yes No
Results article Proinflammatory mediators 01/06/2020 03/03/2025 Yes No

Editorial Notes

03/03/2025: Publication references added.
14/06/2023: Publication reference added.
26/10/2020: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
26/04/2019: Trial's existence confirmed by The Regional Review Board, Stockholm.