Record Details

Relationships Between Diet-Related Changes in the Gut Microbiome and Cognitive Flexibility

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Relationships Between Diet-Related Changes in the Gut Microbiome and Cognitive Flexibility
Names Magnusson, K. R. (creator)
Hauck, L. (creator)
Jeffrey, B. M. (creator)
Elias, V. (creator)
Humphrey, A. (creator)
Nath, R. (creator)
Perrone, A. (creator)
Bermudez, L. E. (creator)
Date Issued 2015 (iso8601)
Note This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier. This article is currently "In-Press" and on publication can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroscience/
Abstract Western diets are high in fat and sucrose and can influence behavior and gut microbiota. There
is growing evidence that altering the microbiome can influence the brain and behavior. This
study was designed to determine whether diet-induced changes in the gut microbiota could
contribute to alterations in anxiety, memory or cognitive flexibility. Two month old, male C57BL/6
mice were randomly assigned high fat (42% fat, 43% carbohydrate (CHO), high sucrose (12%
fat, 70% CHO (primarily sucrose) or normal chow (13% kcal fat, 62% CHO) diets. Fecal
microbiome analysis, step-down latency, novel object and novel location tasks were performed
prior to and two weeks after diet change. Water maze testing for long- and short-term memory
and cognitive flexibility was conducted during weeks 5-6 post-diet change. Some similarities in
alterations in the microbiome were seen in both the high fat and high sucrose diets (e.g.,
increased Clostridiales), as compared to the normal diet, but the percentage decreases in
Bacteroidales were greater in the high sucrose diet mice. Lactobacillales was only significantly
increased in the high sucrose diet group and Erysipelotrichales was only significantly affected
by the high fat diet. The high sucrose diet group was significantly impaired in early development
of a spatial bias for long-term memory, short-term memory and reversal training, compared to
mice on normal diet. An increased focus on the former platform position was seen in both high
sucrose and high fat groups during the reversal probe trials. There was no significant effect of
diet on step-down, exploration or novel recognitions. Higher percentages of Clostridiales and
lower expression of Bacteroidales in high-energy diets were related to the poorer cognitive
flexibility in the reversal trials. These results suggest that changes in the microbiome may
contribute to cognitive changes associated with eating a Western diet.
Genre Article
Topic Executive function
Identifier Magnusson, K. R., Hauck, L., Jeffrey, B. M., Elias, V., Humphrey, A., Nath, R., Perrone, A., & Bermudez, L. E. (2015). Relationships Between Diet-Related Changes in the Gut Microbiome and Cognitive Flexibility. [Article in Press]. Neuroscience.

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