2.3. Intervention and Measurements
ADVERSE EVENTS
All participants were randomly assigned to either the active control group or the treatment group. Each group enrolled 20 participants who were instructed to store probiotic capsules under refrigeration conditions and to take one capsule daily for a period of 12 weeks. To ensure compliance with the treatment, adherence assessments were conducted twice during the study duration. The probiotic capsules of the treatment group contained 1 × 10In the study, the measures included changes in BDNF, and various blood assessments, including cytokines, cortisol, antioxidant enzymes, and peroxides. Additionally, the study involved the use of questionnaires, including MMSE, Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), CDR, and Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADL) as part of the cognitive assessment. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was utilized to analyze changes in the composition of gut microbiota.To ensure unbiased evaluation, the assessment results, as well as any adverse events, were evaluated by an independent physician who was blinded to the patients’ assigned study group.