Berries, Bugs, and the Blues

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Depressive Symptoms

In brief

This study aims to investigate the impact of daily freeze-dried blueberry powder consumption on the gut microbiota, fecal short chain fatty acids, and depressive symptom severity in 40older, sedentary adults with depressive symptoms.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05817383

Run by

Hebrew SeniorLife

People needed

20

Starts

2023-04-05

Expected to finish

2024-07-16

Last updated by the study team

2025-08-22

Who can join

Age: 65 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Men and women aged ≥65 years
• Self-reporting ≥ 8 hours of sitting per/day (e.g., sedentary behavior)
• Depressive symptoms (defined as ≥4 and <16 points on the center for epidemiological studies depression-scale

You may not qualify if…

• Unwilling to follow the study protocol
• A median daily step count >7,500 steps per day (as measured by the ActiGraph), or per discretion of the PI
• Cognitive impairment (defined as Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA <22 points)
• Self-reporting a history of inflammatory bowel disease/syndrome, major depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders, or per discretion of the PI
• Self-reporting type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Allergic to intervention or control products
• Recent use (within the last 3 months) of antibiotics, or per discretion of the PI
• Recent use (within the last 3 months) of pro-biotics, or per discretion of the PI
• Current substance use disorder (Drug Abuse Screening Test, DAST-10>2 points)
• Current alcohol use disorder (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption, AUDIT-C≥4 points)
• Unstable anti-depressant use (e.g., change in medication within last 3-6 months), or per discretion of the PI
• Current homicidal or suicidal ideation (assessed via the P4 Suicidality Screener)
• Current psychosis (via the Psychosis and Hallucinations Questionnaire, PHQ>12 points)
• Manic symptoms (assessed by the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, MDQ >5 points)

Where it is running

• Hebrew Rehabilitation Center — Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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