Evaluating the Effects of Prebiotics on Sleep, the Gut Microbiome, Cognition, Immune Function and Stress

Evaluating the Effects of Prebiotic-based Interventions on Sleep, the Gut Microbiome, Cognition, Immune Function and Stress Following 56 Days Consumption in Healthy Volunteers

The aim of the proposed randomised, double-blind, controlled, parallel groups trial is to assess the sleep, gut microbiome, cognitive, immune and stress effects of 56 days administration of three formulations of a prebiotic-based intervention, in comparison to a placebo control, in a cohort of healthy adults reporting poor sleep quality.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Sleep
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Prebiotic; Other: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 68
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Newcastle, United Kingdom
    • Northumbria University
  • Newcastle, United Kingdom
    • Northumbria Sleep Research, Northumbria University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must self-assess themselves as being in good health.
• Have a stable sleep/wake schedule (bedtime between 9pm and 1am and wake time between 6am and 10am at least 5 nights per week)
• Aged 25 to 60 years at the time of randomisation
• Fluent in English
• Identify as a 'poor sleeper' as defined subjectively (i.e. poor sleep quality, unrefreshing sleep) and a total score of >5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Member of own household currently participating in this trial
• Evidence of current or recent sleep disorders (e.g. sleep apnoea, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders), taking any medication which exerts sedative effects, affects the CNS and/or sleep, or be currently unwell with any illness that affects sleep (i.e. disorders of the CNS). An initial screening for sleep disorders will be conducted using the Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist-25 (SDS-CL; Klingman et al., 2017). If a participant reports positively to any of the 25 questions in terms of being affected for three nights per week, or more, this will be followed up using a clinical interview according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3) to exclude on the basis of a sleep disorder
• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Shift working or have a history of shift work within the previous six months
• Currently, or within the previous 8 weeks, consuming any prebiotic or probiotic products/supplements (including specifically oligosaccharides)
• Participation in any other intervention research trials
• Sleeping at a location other than their usual residence more than two nights per week during participation
• Travel across multiple time zones within the last three months or have planned travel across multiple time zones during the study
• Current or recent mood disturbances or Axis I disorders
• Current misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
• Current smoker
• Recent (within the last 12 weeks) infection and/or use of antibiotic medication
• Pregnant, seeking to become pregnant or lactating
• Those using (including within the last 2 weeks) proton-pump inhibitors
• Milk allergy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Investigational Supplement 1 (INV-1); The total daily supplement to be consumed by participants is 33.0 g. This will be administered as 2 separate doses mixed with water, a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the morning (AM dose) and a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the evening (PM dose). Supplementation will last 56 days.	Dietary supplement: Prebiotic; The bioactive ingredients used in this study include bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), bovine lactoferrin and a prebiotic blend of polydextrose and galactooligosaccharides (PDX/GOS).
Active Comparator: Investigational Supplement 1 (INV-2); The total daily supplement to be consumed by participants is 33.0 g. This will be administered as 2 separate doses mixed with water, a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the morning (AM dose) and a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the evening (PM dose). Supplementation will last 56 days.	Dietary supplement: Prebiotic; The bioactive ingredients used in this study include bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), bovine lactoferrin and a prebiotic blend of polydextrose and galactooligosaccharides (PDX/GOS).
Active Comparator: Investigational Supplement 1 (INV-3); The total daily supplement to be consumed by participants is 33.0 g. This will be administered as 2 separate doses mixed with water, a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the morning (AM dose) and a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the evening (PM dose). Supplementation will last 56 days.	Dietary supplement: Prebiotic; The bioactive ingredients used in this study include bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), bovine lactoferrin and a prebiotic blend of polydextrose and galactooligosaccharides (PDX/GOS).
Placebo Comparator: Control; The total daily supplement to be consumed by participants is 33.0 g. This will be administered as 2 separate doses mixed with water, a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the morning (AM dose) and a 16.5 g dose (two 8.25 g sachets) to be consumed in the evening (PM dose). Supplementation will last 56 days.	Other: Control; Maltodextrin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Sleep Quality	percentage of time in staged sleep from total sleep recorded time	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Sleep onset latency	minutes taken from intention to sleep to first epoch of any stage of sleep	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Total sleep time	minutes of staged sleep over entire sleep duration period	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Number of awakenings	number of <15 second bouts of Wake surrounded, at both ends, by any sleep stage	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Wake after sleep onset	cumulative minutes of scored Wake during entire sleep duration following sleep initiation	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Time spent in stages of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep	percentage of time spent in REM, N1, N2, N3	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- REM Rebound	length, frequency and depth of REM sleep	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Lab-recorded polysomnography- Sleep microstructure	including k-complexes - >.0.5 secs. negative then positive wave and fast/slow sleep spindles - >.0.5 secs. sinusoidal waves 11-16Hz	Change from protocol days 2 and 3 (baseline) and 59 and 60 following 56 days of supplement consumption
Actigraphy - Sleep onset latency	recorded minutes taken from intention to sleep to sleep initiation	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Actigraphy - Total sleep time	recorded minutes asleep over entire sleep period	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Actigraphy - Number of awakenings	recorded number of awakenings during entire sleep period	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Actigraphy - Wake after sleep onset (WASO)	recorded minutes awake during the entire sleep period following sleep onset	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Actigraphy - Sleep efficiency	ratio of the total time spent asleep (total sleep time) in a night compared to the total amount of time spent in bed (percentage)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate (BP/HR)	Measured using a fully automatic oscillometric device	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Body Mass Index (BMI)	calculated using standard formula: weight (kg) / [height (m)]2	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR)	WHR will be calculated by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)	Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): Total Score. The PSQI is a validated self-rating instrument assessing aspects of sleep quality.Minimum score 0 (better); maximum score 21 (worse) < or = 5 associated with good sleep quality; > 5 associated with poor sleep quality.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Profile of Mood States (POMS)	Profile of Mood States (POMS): Mood scores. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) is a psychological rating scale used to assess transient, distinct mood states. 65 adjectives rated on 5-point scale 0= not at all; 1=a little; 2=moderately; 3=quite a bit; 4=extremely. Factor analysis: 6 subscales tension-anxiety (9 items, score range: 0-36) depression (15 items, range 0-60) anger-hostility (12 items, range 0-48) vigor-activity (8 items, range 0-32) fatigue (7 items, range 0-28) confusion-bewilderment (7 items, range 0-28) Total mood disturbance (TMD): (range 0-200)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21)	A 21-item measure of mood over the previous week (each item is rated on scale from 0-3). Scoring creates 3 component scores: depression, anxiety and stress (each on a scale of 0-21) with higher scores indicating higher symptomology. Cut-off scores, according to each set of symptoms, are available (normal, mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe) or total scores can be derived by multiplying the sum of all three component scores by 2.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)	A 40-item measure of current and general anxiety levels. Each item is rated on a scale from 1-4. Scoring creates two components: state anxiety (20 items) and trait anxiety (20 items), with a range for each between 20-80. Following transformation through reversed coding, higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire (WPAI)	A 6-item measure of the impact of an individual's health on their work over the previous week. There are 4 component scores: presenteeism, activity impairment, absenteeism and overall work productivity. All items have varying response formats and higher scores indicate more impairment in each domain. Overall scores can also be summed and multiplied by 100 for an overall impairment index.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12)	A 12-item measure of current perceptions of health status. All items have varying response formats and result in 8 component scores: 1) Limitations in physical activities because of health problems, 2) Limitations in social activities because of physical or emotional problems, 3) Limitations in usual role activities because of physical health problems, 4) Bodily pain, 5) General mental health (psychological distress and well-being), 6) Limitations in usual role activities because of emotional problems, 7) Vitality (energy and fatigue) and 8) General health perceptions.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS	Perceived Stress Scale (PSS): Total Score. The PSS is comprised of 14 items intended to measure how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded individuals find their life circumstances.Participants rate items on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 - "Never" to 4 - "Very often." Scores range from 0-56 higher scores indicate greater perceived stress	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Gastrointestinal symptoms questionnaire	This in-house developed questionnaire is to be completed at the start and end of the trial, during the baseline and chronic lab visits respectively. When completing the assessment, participants will answer in relation to their experiences in the previous 7 days. The questionnaire asks 11 questions, plus a 12th open-ended question, about gastrointestinal experiences, with 5 possible ratings; 'not at all' (score of 0), 'A little' (score of 1), 'a moderate amount' (score of 2), 'quite a lot' (score of 3) and 'a severe amount' (score of 4). Scores can range between 0-44 with a higher score indicating a more negative experience of symptoms	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary -Total Sleep Time	how long, in minutes, the individual reports being asleep during the night between initiation and termination of sleep, accounting for nocturnal wake periods	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary -Time in bed	how long, in minutes, the individual reports being in bed intending to sleep	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary -Sleep Latency	how long, in minutes, the individual felt it took them to fall asleep after intending to sleep	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary -Number of Awakenings	number of perceived awakenings over the sleep period	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary - Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO)	how long, in minutes, the individual reports being awake during the night after sleep initiation	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary - Sleep Efficiency	Total Sleep Time divided by Time in Bed x 100, expressed as a percentage	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Sleep Diary - Sleep Quality	4 items (each scored on a 0-4 scale) covering nocturnal physical and psychological tension, sleep enjoyment and feelings of restedness. Items can be summed (range 0-16) with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Dietary assessment- Intake24	The Intake 24 measure (https://intake24.co.uk/) will assess participants dietary recall over the previous 24 hour period. The generated results provide an indication of overall calorie intake as well as fibre, sugar, calcium, total fat, saturated fat, vitamin C, iron, folate, fruit and vegetable and red meat intake.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Perceived sleep quality (VAS)	Assessed weekly via numerical rating scales. This will generate individual scores of 0-4 (0= 'Extremely poor' to 4= 'Extremely good')	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Subjective Stress (VAS)	Assessed weekly via numerical rating scales. This will generate individual scores of 0-4 (0= 'Extremely poor' to 4= 'Extremely good')	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Subjective mood (VAS)	Assessed weekly via numerical rating scales. This will generate individual scores of 0-4 (0= 'Extremely poor' to 4= 'Extremely good')	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Subjective productivity (VAS)	Assessed weekly via numerical rating scales. This will generate individual scores of 0-4 (0= 'Extremely poor' to 4= 'Extremely good')	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
COMPASS global performance measures	Speed of performance, and accuracy of performance measured by Computerised Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS, Northumbria University)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Cognitive domain factor score	Speed of attention, accuracy of attention, speed of memory, accuracy of working memory, and accuracy of episodic memory measured by Computerised Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS, Northumbria University)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Cognitive Function under stressful conditions	Cognitive performance (multi tasking using Serial Subtractions (3s, 7s, 17s) and tracking simultaneously) during acute stress as a consequence of theOBSERVED MULTITASKING STRESSOR (OMS)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Changes in subjective stress; as assessed by the 'state, trait anxiety inventory' (STAI)	Subjective stress will be measured via the state, trait anxiety inventory before and after each completion of the observed multitasking stressor (OMS)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Changes in objective stress; as assessed by salivary cortisol levels	Saliva samples will be taken from participants before and after each completion of the observed multitasking stressor (OMS) and the change in salivary cortisol levels between pre- and post-OMS	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Changes in objective stress; as assessed by salivary alpha-amylase levels	Saliva samples will be taken from participants before and after each completion of the observed multitasking stressor (OMS) and the change in salivary cortisol levels between pre- and post-OMS	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Changes in objective stress; as assessed by galvanic skin response (GSR)	Galvanic skin response (GSR) will be recorded throughout the observed multitasking stressor (OMS)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Changes in objective stress; as assessed by heart rate (HR)	Heart rate (HR) will be recorded throughout the observed multitasking stressor (OMS)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Gut microbiome assessments (gut bacterial profile)	Assessed via analysis of self collected stool samples at baseline, during active supplementation and after 56 days of supplementation.	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption
Immunological marker Assessment -Blood	Immune function (identification of blood biomarkers of immune function in samples collected at baseline and chronic lab visits)	Change from baseline following 56 days of supplement consumption

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Northumbria University
• Collaborators: Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jason Ellis, PhD, Northumbria University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 3, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 28, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 4, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stress; Cognition; Immune Function; Gut Microbiome
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Dietary Supplements; Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages; Dietary Carbohydrates; Carbohydrates; Polysaccharides; Dietary Fiber; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Prebiotics
• Other Study ID Numbers: 35654

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No