It has been hypothesized that alterations in the gut microbiota may play a part in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, including immune system dysfunction. Preliminary evidence suggests that people with schizophrenia have decreased relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiota. Butyrate plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the gut-blood barrier and has anti-inflammatory effects.

A proof-of-concept study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology was designed to assess whether treatment with an oligofructose-enriched inulin prebiotic could increase the production of butyrate. The study demonstrated that the treatment selectively increased the level of plasma butyrate in people with schizophrenia. The article, titled "Prebiotic Treatment in People with Schizophrenia," appears in the September-October 2024 issue of the journal.

The podcast provides a "somewhat more detailed background rationale for the study" than in the article, according to Dr. Robert W. Buchanan, professor of psychiatry at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Baltimore, first author of the paper, who discusses the results of this study and ongoing research in a larger cohort.