In male grey mouse lemurs, a 30% reduction in calorie intake over time does not change performance on tests of spatial or working memory, even though brain regions involved in memory show increased...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Even though brain cells shrink in memory areas, the connections between them stay healthy because the protective coating around nerve fibers is preserved. This allows the brain to send signals normally, so memory performance does not decline.
Most probable mechanism
Even though brain cells shrink and die in memory areas, the wiring between brain regions stays intact because the protective insulation around nerve fibers is preserved, allowing signals to travel normally and memory tasks to be performed without decline.
Chronic caloric restriction reduces systemic metabolic rate and oxidative stress
Reduced oxidative stress and inflammation decrease microglial activation and protect oligodendrocytes from damage
Preserved oligodendrocyte function maintains myelin integrity in key white matter tracts including the corpus callosum and fimbria hippocampi
Accelerated grey matter atrophy occurs in hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and retrosplenial cortex due to neuronal shrinkage and reduced synaptic density
Intact white matter connectivity compensates for grey matter volume loss by sustaining signal transmission between memory-related regions
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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