Introduction: Current trends in gut–brain axis science recognize the role of the gut microbiome interacting with the brain. Psycho-biotics have been recently defined as “any substance that exerts a microbiome-mediated psychological effect" and are thus not limited to probiotics and prebiotics. Considering this, it is worthy to imagine food selected to act as a psycho-biotic, which may be enriched with prebiotic fiber or probiotics with a recognized effect on human behavior.
Aim Of The study: We aim to evaluate the effect of food elimination interventions in psycho-behavioral disorders treatment in food allergic patients and identify the effect of selective diet elimination on treatment of psycho-behavioral disorders in children with non-IgE mediated gastrointestinal food allergy
Patient and methods: This is an interventional study that was carried out on 50 children aged 3 to 18 years presenting to pediatric outpatient and Gastroenterology and Neuropsychiatry clinics during the period from April 2019 to December 2022. They were selected using open random selection technique. They were having psycho-behavioral disorders plus non IgE-mediated food allergy. Food elimination diet was introduced, and Conner's, CARS “Childhood Autism Rating Scale", and Intelligent Quotient “IQ" tests were done before and six weeks after diet elimination.
Results: There was statistically significant difference between Conners, CARS, and IQ tests before and six weeks after food elimination. However, this difference was not clinically significant as the patients were still in the same diagnostic subcategories of each test. There was no difference in speech delay before and after food elimination therapy.
Conclusion: Food elimination diet has no clinically significant effect on psycho-behavioral disorders, but showed statistical significance, in patients with food allergies.