Depression in the elderly and psychobiotics

Abstract Depression is a common mental disorder in the elderly, and can adversely affect functionality and cognition. Physical illness predisposes the older adults to depression. The current treatment strategies for the management of geriatric depression are not efficient enough, are poorly tolerated, and have undesirable side effects in the patients. This necessitates emerging of new therapeutic options for alleviation of depression in the elderly. One main aspect of most chronic diseases in geriatrics is inflammation. Gut microbiota dysbiosis, which has been frequently reported in the elderly, can lead to endotoxemia and exacerbation of inflammatory status in the body. Restoring gut microbiota balance through application of psychobiotics (i.e., the probiotics and prebiotics) might help ameliorate inflammation, consequently enhancing psychological well-being. Although clinical trials have not come up with much promising results in this regard thus far, more studies with various probiotic strains and prebiotic types are required to draw a conclusion.