PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION FACILITATES EXTINCTION MEMORY IN AGED RATS

The role of gut microbiota is not fully understood yet, but over the last years, data suggests that the gut-brain axis plays an important role in cognition and behavior. The absence of gut microbiota or an imbalance in its composition can lead to alteration in memory and behavior. One of the hallmarks of aging is the cognitive decline that happens naturally or in diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, it is also observed gut microbiota alterations caused by aging leading to a shift on its composition pattern turning it more susceptible to pathogenic bacteria. The use of probiotics to modulate gut composition has been effective in improving cognitive behaviors such as memory, anxiety and depression.