1. The Effects of Western-Style Diet on Attentional Set Shifting Performance
MS-4
Shannon Marwitz, Lauren Woodie, & Sarah Blythe
We conducted a pilot study to see if there would be differences in a set shifting task due to high fat diet exposure. We wanted to see if male Sprauge-Dawley rats were capable of performing an attentional shift before we began our primary project. Since our task will only involve a one-dimension shift we show that the rats can perform this task and that *****there is a diet difference at the one-dimension shift point in the task***** The task used a two-dimension shift near the end where there wasn’t a statistically significant interaction between diet and performance on the task.
4 ½ weeks blood test
10 weeks on diet
Week 10 final glucose test, blood draw, begin to restrict food after blood draw to be at 85% bw
Week 11 attention task, kept food restricted
Week 12 continued attention task, food restricted, wrapped up study
Biology Department, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, USA
PURPOSE
To explore the role of diet in the etiology of attention disorders using a rodent obesity model.
BACKGROUND
Obesity rates have risen from 5 to 17% in children and adolescents over the past 30 years.2
The incidence of ADHD is also rising and currently afflicts 3-10% of school age children.2
In 2012, it was found that overweight children have a twofold higher chance of developing ADHD than their normal weight counterpart.1
Past work in our lab has shown that a high-fat diet negatively impacts learning and memory in the male rats.
RESEARCH PLAN & HYPOTHESIS
Utilize a high-fat powder diet to induce obesity in male rats.
Assess attention capabilities with an attentional set shifting task (ASST).
We hypothesize that a high fat diet impairs ability to perform an attentional set shifting task.
Attentional Set Shifting Task
There was no interaction between diet and number of digs (p=0.177) or time spent in the tasks (p=0.751).
There was significant increase in number of digs (p=0.052) and time spent in the task (p=0.033) as the tasks progressed and became more difficult.
CONCLUSIONS
Rats are able to perform simple set shifting tasks.
Diet does not appear to impair performance on attention set-shifting.
Further investigations could look at other types of attention.
Discrimination
Reward
No Reward
Simple
Raffia
Paper Balls
Paper Balls/Celery Seed
Raffia/Mint
Complex
Raffia/Celery Seed
Paper Balls/Mint
Interdimensional
Shift
Tulle/Coffee
Cotton/Cumin
Cotton/Coffee
Tulle/Cumin
Cotton/Cumin
Reversal
Tulle/Coffee
Tulle/Cumin
Cotton/Coffee
Extradimensional
Shift
Cinnamon/Beads
Cardamom/Styrofoam
Cardamom/Beads
Cinnamon/
Styrofoam 1 2 8 7 6 5 4 3 9 10
(Weeks)
Animal Arrival
Start Diets
Diet Exposure Continues
Timeline
Blood Glucose Test
BGT and Food Restriction
Figure 1: Effects of Western-Style Diet on ASST.
Attention Task
References:
1. Erhart, M, et al (2012) Examining the relationship between Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and overweight in children and adolescents. European Child Adolescent Psychiatry 21:39-49.
2. Waring, ME, Lapane, KL (2008) Overweight in Children and Adolescents in Relation
to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results From a National Sample. Pediatrics 122.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Dr. I’Anson and Bev Bowring for their help. We would also like to than the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fund along with the Levy Foundation Grant and the Virginia Academy of Sciences Grant for their support