Scientists have been increasingly discovering how our gut bacteria affect health, and how a poop transplant to modify those gut bacteria can be a viable form of treatment. Now there's new evidence that this kind of procedure can even fix a particular psychiatric problem.

In a study of 20 patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) – brain issues that often go alongside cirrhosis – the 10 patients given a faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) saw sustained improvements in cognitive health.

Hepatic encephalopathy develops in more than 40 percent of people with liver cirrhosis, and can cause problems with thinking, changes in personality, confusion, and forgetfulness, though symptoms can vary in their severity.