Research, obese mouse brain has memory problems

• Obesity, anorexia and aggression on the rise with the pandemic

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October 25, 2021 The brains of

undergo

alterations, in the structure and function, of the hippocampal circuits and the ability to perform certain cognitive tasks in an optimal way, in particular with regard to

.

This was discovered by a research team of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of

(Cnr-Icb) of Pozzuoli, led by

, as part of the activities of the Joint International Research Unit with the

(Quebec) , directed by

(Cnr-Icb), which has published the results of its research in the journal Nature Communications.

The mammalian brain continues to generate neurons throughout life, starting with neural stem cells, in two specific areas called neurogenic niches: the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular area. The production of neurons in particular affects episodic memory, that is, the ability to remember personal events and, consequently, to plan future individual actions. Episodic memory is stored in the hippocampus, where very conserved circuits reside on the evolutionary ladder.

The study shows that aberrant neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus is the cause of

. "Several factors are able to regulate neurogenesis in adult life. Our study identified in particular two molecules, the neuropeptide orexin and the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, as responsible for the alteration of neurogenesis and the normal functioning of the memory circuit. episodic - explains Luigia Cristino - and provides the anatomo-functional basis for the changes in hippocampal activities found with neuroimaging techniques in young adults with high Bmi (Body Mass Index) and reduced ability to form and / or recover episodic memories. The effect adds to the growing evidence that

, which accompany obesity, may be present early in adult life. " 

According to

data

1.4 billion adults, 35% of the world's population, have excess weight problems, half a billion adults are obese and

is expected to

increase by 60% over the next decade.

"This scenario looks disturbing in light of the fact that episodic memory, which is shown to be altered in the obese subjects of our study on an animal model,

, in the context of behavior but also of food choices - continues Cristino - the data of this research confirm that in the balance between hunger and satiety, to a certain extent governed by chemical signals such as hormones, endocannabinoids, neuropeptides, psychological factors also play a crucial role:

of a TV

, when we are distracted and episodic memory is less involved. "

In other words, it is possible that being overweight makes it more difficult to

, paradoxically increasing the likelihood of overeating.

"Understanding how we instinctively regulate our consumption and our eating behavior becomes increasingly important, in order to develop anti-obesity therapeutic strategies aimed at regulating the molecules responsible for altering neurogenesis, in particular through the endocannabinoid system which, in its most extended, it also involves another important actor in the etiology of obesity, the intestinal microbiota ", concludes Vincenzo Di Marzo, co-author of the study.