Memory of Diabetics Might be Affected by Obesity
November 14, 2005
Latest research suggests that obesity could lead to impaired memory for people with Type 2 diabetes. The team studied the effects of high-fat diets and obesity on learning and memory using rats as the model. Some significant changes were observed in their ability to learn new tasks and remember new information.
The study was done using obese and lean rats that were put through a series of learning and memory recall exercises in a simple box environment outfitted with a retractable central feeder used as a food reward. The rats underwent training to learn when to press a lever to receive food and when not to. Both the two groups of rats scored well in the training.
But in trials, which tested their ability to remember what they had learned, the difference in memory function showed. The ability of the obese rats to recall specific information deteriorated as the time between trials was increased. The type of memory loss indicates that memory controlled by the part of the brain called the hippocampus was impaired.
Source:http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2005/11/14/1306008-sun.html
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