Will calorie restriction stave off age-related brain dysfunction, specifically to learning and memory? A review and critique of the rodent literature

Abstract

While studies of long-term calorie restriction (CR) have pointed to a plethora of health benefits in numerous species including humans, the effects on the brain and brain function are less well known and understood. In this chapter the effect of long-term CR on learning and memory in aging populations of laboratory rats and mice is evaluated. Included in this chapter is a discussion of the methodological issues that investigators must consider in constructing studies designed to assess learning and memory in aged rodents as well as how these studies need to be designed to assess the effects of CR on learning and memory in these aged populations. A section on CR and brain aging is included to provide a more comprehensive background to the understanding of the effects of CR on learning and memory. As the reader will discern, the hypothesis that CR is beneficial to learning and memory in senescent animals is only partially supported by the current data.