MEMORY DISORDERS&

NUTRITIONRisk Factors for “brain aging”1. Obesity2. Type 2 Diabetes3. Cardiovascular Disease4. High Cholesterol

All have been linked to INSULIN RESISTANCE

Kalaria RN (2010) Vascular basis for brain degeneration: faltering controls and risk factors for dementia. Nutrition Reviews. 68:S74-S87

Insulin Resistance

• Inability of insulin to perform its normal functions which could lead to…– High blood sugar

• Cant be used by cells due to improper insulin function

– Reduced glycogen synthesis in liver– Increased fatty acids in blood – And more!More problems occur as the years pass (previous slide).

Memory Wellness Program

• Interested in why memory changes as we get older

• How our body and brain use sugar and insulin

• Which risk factors may lead to Alzheimer’s Disease?

Observation

The prevalence of nutrition related ailments has dramatically increased. The prevalence of

Alzheimer’s Disease has dramatically increased.

Can we manipulate diet to improve memory and increase positive outcomes in the elder years?

Hypothesis

A low fat / low glycemic index diet will prove beneficial to brain function and a high fat / high glycemic index diet will have an effect on certain proteins and hormones associated with insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s Disease, and consequently, a negative effect on memory.

HIGH LOWDIET

Macronutrient pattern associated with T2DM and IR

• 45% FAT (25% Saturated)• 35-40% CARBOHYDRATES• 15-20% PROTEIN

• 25% FAT (<7% Saturated)• 55-60% CARBOHYDRATES• 15-20% PROTEIN

Normal Memory or Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

(aMCI)

Normal Memory or Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

(aMCI)

Screening Visito Safety Blood Drawo Memory Evaluationo Physical Exam

Eligible Fill out 3-Day Food Record to determine

isocaloric diet

3 Visits• OGTT• Spinal Tap• Memory test

4 WEEKS OF FREE MEALS

3 Visits (during week 4)• OGTT• Spinal Tap• Memory test

20 Normal Memory & 29 Impaired Memory(n=49)

Amyloid – beta (AB)Tau InsulinApolipoprotein-E (ApoE)

Helps to clear AB from the system

RESULTS• Diet Intervention Modulated Insulin & Lipid Metabolism

– High diet increased Insulin (AUC), Low diet reduced Insulin (AUC)– Adults with aMCI had a two-fold change in total cholesterol across diets!

These changes were important and indicated that the diets worked allowing us to see how this would affect certain proteins and hormones associated with Alzheimer’s Disease in the spinal fluid, the fluid that surrounds the brain.

Results

• Changes in spinal fluid– AB42

Implicated in Alzheimer’s as causing “plaques” in the brain, reducing brain function

Results

• Changes in spinal fluid– ApoE

Helps with clearance of the AB protein that causes “plaques” in Alzheimer’s

Results

• Improved delayed memory on the LOW diet!

P<0.05

Conclusion

• Normal adults on the HIGH diet showed a pattern that is theoretically similar to what someone would look like on their way to Alzheimer’s disease.

• Little was seen with MCI’s on the HIGH diet– Already started the process of AD? – More intensive intervention needed to worsen the

damage already done?

Conclusion

• LOW diet helped both groups– Improved memory– Less oxidative stress (isoprostanes)

– Less AD biomarkers

In the future

• Hifat/HiGI vs Lofat/LoGI vs Hifat/LoGI vs Lofat/HiGI– 10 blood draws over the course of 5 hours– “Meal tolerance test”

• Look at younger folks (45-65) with Pre-diabetes and Pre-Hypertension vs controls and combinations.