Probiotic Supplement Preparation Relieves Test Anxiety by Regulating Intestinal Microbiota in College Students.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Qin Q
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8087991 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Test anxiety frequently occurs in college students and harms their physical and psychological health, but suitable interventions or therapeutical strategies are still missing. The present study aims to evaluate the potential effects of Lactobacillus plantarum JYLP-326 on test anxious college students. Sixty anxious students were enrolled and randomly allocated to the placebo group and the probiotic group, which were instructed to take placebo and JYLP-326 products twice per day for three weeks, respectively. Thirty unanxious students with no treatments were assigned to a regular control group. The anxiety, depression, and insomnia questionnaires were used to measure students’ mental states at the baseline and the end of this study. 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were performed to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota and fecal metabolism. The questionnaire results suggested that JYLP-326 administration could relieve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in test anxious students. The gut microbiomes of the placebo group showed a significantly greater α diversity index than the control group (p < 0.05). An increased abundance of Bacteroides and Roseburia was observed in the placebo group, and the relative abundance of Prevotella and Bifidobacterium decreased. Whereas JYLP-326 administration could partly restore the disturbed gut microbiota. Additionally, test anxiety was correlation with disordered fecal metabolomics such as a higher Ethyl sulfate and a lower Cyclohexylamine, which could be reversed after taking JYLP-326. Furthermore, the changed microbiota and fecal metabolites were significantly associated with anxiety-related symptoms. These results indicated that the intervention of L. plantarum JYLP-326 could be an effective strategy to alleviate anxiety, depression and insomnia in test anxious college students.
2023-02-10 | ST002475 | MetabolomicsWorkbench
Project description:ObjectiveUp to 85% of college students experience test anxiety, which may contribute to decreased academic performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of recruiting chiropractic students for a randomized trial involving aromatherapy for anxiety reduction.MethodsThis study enrolled chiropractic students who were randomly assigned to separate rooms during a biochemistry test. Waterless diffusers dispersed a lemon and rosemary blend of essential oils in the experimental room and water in the control room. Students completed pretest surveys rating current and general anxiety. Posttest surveys included rating current anxiety. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was preformed to determine within- and between-group differences for current anxiety. Feasibility was the primary aim, and the statistical significance of anxiety test scores between rooms was the secondary aim.ResultsSixty-four students were included in the study. The feasibility of research methods was noted for adherence to the study protocol (informed consent, randomization, and survey distribution and completion) and resource allocation. Design improvements are required in recruitment methods, follow-up surveys, and intervention blinding. ANCOVA for between-group comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between groups' pre- and posttest anxiety scores (p = .22). Two reported side effects, eye and sinus irritation, could not be attributed to treatment group. Most students were willing to use aromatherapy for test anxiety in the future.ConclusionWe demonstrated feasibility in conducting a randomized study to measure the influence of aromatherapy on test anxiety in chiropractic students. A powered, randomized study is needed to determine if aromatherapy may be effective in reducing test anxiety.
| S-EPMC7958665 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Approximately 4 μg of DNA was isolated from blood of each of 16 subjects using the Qiagen DNEasy Blood and Tissue Kit. Of the 16 samples, 8 were from group 1 (CESD-H/TST-H; 5 female, 3 male) and 8 were from group 2 (CESD-H/TST-L; 5 female, 3 male). All DNA samples were confirmed to be of high purity (A260/280: 1.7-2.0). Pooled samples were prepared for each group by combining approximately 75 ng of DNA from each of the eight subjects. These two samples were submitted to the Yale Genomics Core for epigenome-wide methylation profiling using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, which measures the level of methylation β (a value ranging from 0 to 1, where 0 represents a completely unmethylated site and 1 a completely methylated site) at each of the 485,577 CpG sites on the array. Illumina’s GenomeStudio software was used to calculate the degree of differential methylation by group for each CpG site on the array, and FDR-adjusted p-values (Q-values) were calculated for each site in order to adjust for multiple comparisons. CESD=depression score; TST=sleep score
2016-08-01 | GSE80559 | GEO
Project description:To clarify the prevalence of dietary supplement use among college students, we conducted Internet-based nationwide questionnaire surveys with 157,595 Japanese college students aged between 18 to 24 years old who were registrants of Macromill Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). Among the 9066 respondents (response rate 5.8%), 16.8% were currently using dietary supplements. The prevalence of dietary supplement use did not differ significantly between males (17.1%) and females (16.7%). However, it increased according to their grade (13.1% to 20.5%), and it was higher in medical and pharmaceutical college students (22.0%) compared to others (16.7%). The main purpose of dietary supplement use was for the health benefits in both males and females. Other reasons were to build muscle in males, and as a beauty supplement and for weight loss in females. According to the purpose of dietary supplement use, the most commonly-used dietary supplements were vitamin/mineral supplements in both males and females, then protein and weight loss supplements in males and females, respectively. Although most students obtained information about dietary supplements via the Internet, they typically purchased the supplements from drug stores. Of the students surveyed, 7.5% who were currently using or used to use dietary supplements experienced adverse effects, with no significant difference between genders (8.8% in male, 7.0% in female). In conclusion, the prevalence of dietary supplement use increased with grade among college students in Japan. Some of them experienced adverse effects. Education may be important to prevent adverse effects resulting from supplement use in college.
| S-EPMC5707722 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionTest anxiety is a common issue among college students, which can affect their physical and psychological health. However, effective interventions or therapeutic strategies are still lacking. This study aims to evaluate the potential effects of Lactobacillus plantarum JYLP-326 on test anxious college students.MethodsSixty anxious students were enrolled and randomly allocated to the placebo group and the probiotic group. Both groups were instructed to take placebo and JYLP-326 products twice per day for three weeks, respectively. Thirty unanxious students with no treatments were assigned to a regular control group. The anxiety, depression, and insomnia questionnaires were used to measure students' mental states at the baseline and the end of this study. 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were performed to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota and fecal metabolism.ResultsThe questionnaire results suggested that JYLP-326 administration could relieve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in test anxious students. The gut microbiomes of the placebo group showed a significantly greater diversity index than the control group (p < 0.05). An increased abundance of Bacteroides and Roseburia at the genus level was observed in the placebo group, and the relative abundance of Prevotella and Bifidobacterium decreased. Whereas, JYLP-326 administration could partly restore the disturbed gut microbiota. Additionally, test anxiety was correlated with disordered fecal metabolomics such as a higher Ethyl sulfate and a lower Cyclohexylamine, which could be reversed after taking JYLP-326. Furthermore, the changed microbiota and fecal metabolites were significantly associated with anxiety-related symptoms.ConclusionThe results indicate that the intervention of L. plantarum JYLP-326 could be an effective strategy to alleviate anxiety, depression, and insomnia in test anxious college students. The potential mechanism underlying this effect could be related to the regulation of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites.
| S-EPMC10077425 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSocial anxiety, which is widely prevalent among Chinese college students, poses a significant barrier to their holistic psychological and physiological development. Although numerous cross-sectional studies have examined the relationship between rumination and social anxiety, there is still a gap in understanding their interplay over time. This longitudinal study aimed to explore and analyze the intricate interrelations between these two factors, with the ultimate goal of informing the development of effective mental health education interventions for university students.MethodsUsing the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) and the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), a two-stage longitudinal follow-up study of 392 college students from three universities in Henan Province was conducted over a six-month period (October 2022 to March 2023) using a cross-lagged model to explore the correlation between rumination and social anxiety. The results of the correlation analysis showed that rumination was positively associated with social anxiety at both time points (r = 0.18,0.12, p < 0.01).ResultsCross-lagged regression analyses revealed that the predictive effect of the first measure (T1) rumination on the second measure (T2) rumination was statistically significant (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). The predictive effect of T1 social anxiety on T2 social anxiety was statistically significant (β = 0.65, p < 0.001), the predictive effect of T1 rumination on T2 social anxiety was statistically significant (β = 0.33, p < 0.001), and the prediction of T1 social anxiety on T2 rumination was statistically significant (β = 0.28, p < 0.001).ConclusionCollege students' rumination and social anxiety are mutually predictive of each other, and interventions by educators in either of these areas have the potential to interrupt the vicious cycle between ruminant thinking and social anxiety.
| S-EPMC10792811 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveAnxiety and depression are great public health concerns among college students. The purpose of this study was to explore whether sleep quality and quality of life (QoL) play mediating roles in anxiety and depression among Chinese college students.MethodA total of 2757 college students (mean age = 19.07; SD = 1.14) completed the questionnaires, including a brief demographic survey. The 2-item General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) and the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) were used to assess the symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. And the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate college students' sleep quality and QoL, respectively. Mediation analyses were conducted by using PROCESS macro in the SPSS software.ResultAnxiety had both direct and indirect effects on depression. Sleep quality and QoL were not only independent mediators in the relationship between anxiety and depression but also chain mediators.ConclusionThe results of the current study highlight the crucial role of early intervention for depression with a focus on college students with anxiety, more especially, on those with poorer sleep quality and lower QoL.
| S-EPMC9162318 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Exposure to natural environments offers an array of mental health benefits. Virtual reality provides simulated experiences of being in nature when outdoor access is limited. Previous studies on virtual nature have focused mainly on single "doses" of virtual nature. The effects of repeated exposure remain poorly understood. Motivated by this gap, we studied the influence of a daily virtual nature intervention on symptoms of anxiety, depression, and an underlying cause of poor mental health: rumination. Forty college students (58% non-Hispanic White, median age = 19) were recruited from two U.S. universities and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Over several weeks, anxious arousal (panic) and anxious apprehension (worry) decreased with virtual nature exposure. Participants identifying as women, past VR users, experienced with the outdoors, and engaged with the beauty in nature benefited particularly strongly from virtual nature. Virtual nature did not help symptoms of anhedonic depression or rumination. Further research is necessary to distinguish when and for whom virtual nature interventions impact mental health outcomes.
| S-EPMC9868517 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionSome individuals are more susceptible to recalling false information about events that never happened in their life. Nevertheless, there are several factors, such as personality characteristics, that appear to be related to memory performance. Social anxiety also provokes memory deficits for events that happen to other people, because these individuals tend to focus on their own inner selves rather than on external signs.ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of the personality characteristics of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) on memory performance.MethodsIn this study, 183 university students had their memory tested using a complex emotional story about a mother and her son. Only subjects without clinical symptoms of depression and general anxiety (N = 148; 61 with SAD) were included in the study. Participants were compared for differences in personality characteristics using the Factorial Inventory of Personality and for SAD using the Social Phobia Inventory.ResultsThe main results showed that memory performance of individuals with low percentile ranks in the personality characteristic dominance, i.e., those with low self-esteem, remembered more true information about the story than those with high scores when they did not have SAD.ConclusionThe results are helpful to foster better understanding of the personality characteristics related to SAD, such as low dominance, which implies low self-esteem and difficulties with trust and with imposing themselves on others. The results could help development and improvement of techniques for therapeutic intervention.
| S-EPMC10039717 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSpleen deficiency diarrhea (SDD) is a common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) gastrointestinal condition, the causes of which include dysfunction of the intestinal barrier and microbiota. Rice water-fried Atractylodis Rhizoma (RAR) is a commonly used drug to treat this condition, but its mechanism remains unclear. This study explored the related mechanisms of ethanolic extract of rice water-fried Atractylodis Rhizoma (EAR) in the treatment of SDD by examining changes in the intestinal microbiota.MethodWistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including the control, model, EAR low, and high-dose groups, 6 rats in each group. All rats, except the control group, were induced to develop SDD by a bitter-cold purgation method with rhubarb. The therapeutic effect of EAR on SDD was evaluated by pathological sections, inflammatory indicators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10), gastrointestinal-related indicators (GAS, DAO, D-lactate, VIP, and SIgA), and intestinal flora (bacteria and fungi) analysis.ResultsThe results showed that the developed SDD rat model (model group) showed weight loss, decreased food intake, and increased fecal moisture content. Compared with those of the control group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, DAO, D-lactate, and VIP in the model group were significantly increased, but the levels of IL-10, GAS and SIgA were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). However, the indicators were significantly improved after EAR treatment, indicating that EAR maintained the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduced gastric emptying, thereby protecting intestinal barrier function, alleviating intestinal mucosal injury, and relieving SDD by regulating the release of neurotransmitters. EAR was also shown to prevent infection by promoting the accumulation of noninflammatory immunoglobulin SIgA and improving intestinal mucosal immunity to inhibit the adhesion of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Intestinal microbiome analysis showed that the intestinal bacteria and fungi of SDD model rats changed greatly compared with the control group, resulting in intestinal microecological imbalance. The reversal in the composition of the flora after EAR treatment was mainly characterized by a large enrichment of beneficial bacteria represented by Lactobacillus and a decrease in the abundance of potentially pathogenic fungi represented by Aspergillus. Thus, it was speculated that EAR primarily functions to alleviate SDD by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reducing the abundance of potentially pathogenic fungi.ConclusionThe strong therapeutic effect of EAR on SDD suggests that it is a promising treatment for this condition.
| S-EPMC9928513 | biostudies-literature