The safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation in a population with bipolar disorder during depressive episodes: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, debilitating illness with significant medical morbidity, often secondary to current treatments, and a high recurrence rate. This burden of disease reflects limitations in the tolerability and efficacy of current treatments. There is a compelling body of evidence linking the gut microbiota to mental illness, and while microbial manipulation via probiotic use has been studied as a therapeutic in BD, …