Reframing appetitive reinforcement learning and reward valuation as effects mediated by hippocampal-dependent behavioral inhibition

The Western Diet (WD), defined by a significant daily consumption of saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, frequently results in obesity and being overweight, and was observed to cause cognitive impairments and emotional derangements in animal and human studies. The WD causes dysregulation of the gut microbiome which impacts cerebral function via several mechanisms, including the […]

While a diet high in saturated fat (HFD), consumed heavily by Americans, has been shown to sensitise the inflammatory response to a subsequent immune challenge in young adult rats, Spencer et al. (2017) remark that the inflammatory effect of HFD has not been assessed in the vulnerable aging brain. This is why this study, using […]