Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Peter Vollbrecht, Biology
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-21-2017
Abstract
Obesity has become not only a nationwide problem, but a cause for worldwide concern as the prevalence of processed junk-food is currently on the rise. Along with numerous physical ailments induced by obesity, emerging evidence suggests that consumption of a high-fat diet has negative neurological implications. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), known to play an important role in mediating “executive” functions such as inhibitory control, working memory, and decision-making is one region that appears to be affected by consumption of a junk food diet. In this study, we explored the effects of a junk-food diet and a high fat diet on PFC function. Rats were fed either a junk-food diet (19.6% fat) intended to mimic a typical Western diet, a high fat diet (60% fat), or a standard chow diet. Behavioral testing were then conducted following a 4 week exposure to the diets and included the Egocentric Morris Water Maze, Spontaneous Alternation, Novel Object Recognition and Attentional Set Shift. These behavioral tests were performed in order to identify any differences in working memory or attention between groups.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Obiri-Yeboah, Derrick and Wingrove, Catherine, "Effects of Junk Food Diet and High Fat Diet Manipulation on Working Memory of Sprague Dawley Rats" (2017). 16th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance (2017). Paper 58.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curcp_16/58
April 21, 2017. Copyright © 2017 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
