Does obesity affect your memory?
Researchers at the University of Alabama may have found a connection between declining memory and obesity. They identified particular genes in the hippocampus area of the brains of mice and found that, in obese mice, there is a dysregulation of memory-associated genes due to epigenetic changes, assumed to be caused by obesity. These particular genes are supposed to help neurones in the brain create new synapses, which are involved with memory formation.
This is one of the first studies that actually looks into the mechanisms of epigenetic dysregulation of memory-associated genes. The authors explained that the study itself may serve as a conceptual basis for the development of therapeutic interventions for obesity-induced memory impairment, due to the discovery of the link between diet, epigenetics and cognitive function. However they do say that much deeper research and assessment into the area is needed before therapeutic interventions are considered.
