Submission Type
Poster
Start Date
4-21-2022
Abstract
The ketogenic diet (KD), is a high-fat, low-carb diet which has recently become popular as a way to improve memory and cognitive function. There is little research done on the benefits of KD and to what extent it benefits memory function. We modeled the effects that KD has on performance of old mice during a working memory task and locomotor activity. As a control, half of the mice were fed normal chow, while the other half were fed KD. In experiment 1, the Barnes Maze was used to assess working memory. Using spatial cues, the mouse escapes to a target hole located in the Maze, and each day the target location is changed. KD mice showed a lower latency to escape and a tendency to make fewer mistakes. To detect if there were diet-induced differences in activity, experiment 2 utilized a 1hr locomotor test at the start of the diet period (baseline) and again at the end of the diet period (KD) but found no differences between mice on KD and mice fed a normal diet. In experiment 3, we used a cresyl violet stain to assess neuronal density in regions of the brain involved in memory, that included the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, where higher density was hypothesized to be found in KD mice. Overall, we investigated one potential mechanism for our findings that show KD improves working memory performance without affecting locomotor activity. Results support the potential for using KD as a treatment for disorders with memory impairments.
Recommended Citation
Bodzon, Jennifer; Patel, Raj; McBride, Sean; and Burke, Elizabeth, "142 -- Working Memory, Locomotor Activity, and Neuronal Density in Old Mice Fed a Ketogenic Diet" (2022). GREAT Day Posters. 52.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2022/posters-2022/52
142 -- Working Memory, Locomotor Activity, and Neuronal Density in Old Mice Fed a Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet (KD), is a high-fat, low-carb diet which has recently become popular as a way to improve memory and cognitive function. There is little research done on the benefits of KD and to what extent it benefits memory function. We modeled the effects that KD has on performance of old mice during a working memory task and locomotor activity. As a control, half of the mice were fed normal chow, while the other half were fed KD. In experiment 1, the Barnes Maze was used to assess working memory. Using spatial cues, the mouse escapes to a target hole located in the Maze, and each day the target location is changed. KD mice showed a lower latency to escape and a tendency to make fewer mistakes. To detect if there were diet-induced differences in activity, experiment 2 utilized a 1hr locomotor test at the start of the diet period (baseline) and again at the end of the diet period (KD) but found no differences between mice on KD and mice fed a normal diet. In experiment 3, we used a cresyl violet stain to assess neuronal density in regions of the brain involved in memory, that included the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, where higher density was hypothesized to be found in KD mice. Overall, we investigated one potential mechanism for our findings that show KD improves working memory performance without affecting locomotor activity. Results support the potential for using KD as a treatment for disorders with memory impairments.
Comments
Sponsored by Dr. Allison R. Bechard