Effect of short term high fat feeding on cognition

Dementia is a progressive and debilitating disease which costs more to manage than heart disease, stroke and cancer combined. Risk increases with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and obesity; both of which are now at pandemic levels. An understanding of why these factors increase dementia may help establish interventions to treat individuals before irreversible damage occurs. This study will use an animal model to examine why relatively short periods on a high-fat diet seem to affect certain types of learning. Results may suggest lifestyle changes or treatments which could reduce the increase in dementia associated with poor diet.