From Nutritional Patterns to Behavior: High-Fat Diet Influences on Inhibitory Control, Brain Gene Expression, and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Nutritional Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Impulsive and compulsive behaviors are linked to inhibitory control deficits.
• Diet significantly influences physiological and behavioral development.
• The impact of high-fat diets (HFD) on inhibitory control requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on impulsive and compulsive behaviors in rats.
• To analyze the impact of HFD on brain plasticity and gene regulation in the frontal cortex.
• To examine metabolic and fatty acid profiles following HFD exposure.

Main Methods:

• Forty Wistar rats were fed either a HFD or a control chow diet from postnatal day (PND) 33 to PND77.
• Behavioral assessments included variable delay to signal (VDS), five choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), delay discounting task (DDT), and rodent gambling task (rGT).
• Genetic analysis of the frontal cortex and metabolomic/fatty acid profiling of stool samples were conducted.

Main Results:

• Rats exposed to HFD displayed increased motor impulsivity but showed no significant changes in cognitive impulsivity.
• Surprisingly, the HFD group demonstrated reduced impulsive decision-making.
• Abnormalities in frontal cortex brain plasticity, dopamine gene regulation, and altered fatty acid levels were observed in the HFD group.

Conclusions:

• Early-life exposure to a HFD can differentially affect motor and cognitive aspects of impulsivity.
• HFDs may induce neurobiological changes in the frontal cortex, influencing behavior and brain plasticity.
• Dietary interventions warrant consideration for managing behavioral control and associated neurobiological pathways.