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Nutrients
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Dietary Factors and Interventions for Cognitive Neuroscience
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Dietary Factors and Interventions for Cognitive Neuroscience

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Neuro Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 1000

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Auriel Willette

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Interests: neuroimaging; cognitive neuroscience; diet and nutrition; neurobiology and brain physiology; neurodegenerative diseases; functional neuroscience; behavioral neuroscience; executive function; memory; neurodegeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Approximately 40% of Americans are obese. Globally, rates of obesity have doubled in the last 30 years, although this varies widely based on race, ethnicity, and official metrics used to define overweight or obesity. This Special Issue of “Dietary Factors and Interventions in Cognitive Neuroscience” aims to address two main topics: (1) adult obesity and its association with brain and/or cognitive outcomes; and (2) nutritional factors or interventions that provide insight into or positively benefit the brains of lean, overweight, and obese adults. I welcome submissions that address a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Any animal model or computational work that looks at the mechanisms of overweight and obesity and provides insight for brain or behavioral outcomes.
  • In humans, associations with overweight or obesity and brain biomarkers including MRI, PET, SPECT, or other broad classes of imaging techniques.
  • Nutritional supplements or other bioactive compounds that impact the brain, cognition, or emotion/affect outcomes.
  • Specific dietary interventions (e.g., calorie restriction, MIND diet, etc.) and effects on brain or behavior outcomes.

Dr. Auriel Willette
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuroimaging
  • cognitive decline
  • cognitive neuroscience
  • affective neuroscience
  • neurobiology
  • memory
  • neurodegeneration
  • learning and memory

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4558 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Effects of Changes in Dietary Protein Content on Naturally Aging Mice Based on Comprehensive Quantitative Scoring and Metabolomic Analysis
by Xiaohua Zheng, Fan Zhou, Qinren Zhang, Wenxuan Zheng, Fengcui Shi, Ruiding Li, Jingwen Lv and Quanyang Li
Nutrients 2025, 17(9), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091542 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Background: During aging, protein nutrition has a bidirectional role in regulating healthy lifespan by modulating body metabolism and neurological function. However, the current “low-high” hypothesis on the dynamics of protein requirements is mainly based on male animal models, and its applicability to female [...] Read more.
Background: During aging, protein nutrition has a bidirectional role in regulating healthy lifespan by modulating body metabolism and neurological function. However, the current “low-high” hypothesis on the dynamics of protein requirements is mainly based on male animal models, and its applicability to female physiology (e.g., estrogen fluctuations) is unclear. The present study aims to fill the gap in the study of protein demand dynamics in female naturally aging mice and to investigate the effects of different protein levels on the health status of female C57BL/6J mice at different stages of aging. Methods: In this study, four dietary interventions (high protein, HP; low protein, LP; model test, MT; and control, C) were evaluated by constructing a C57BL/6J female mouse model at three ages, 9 M (9 months), 16 M (16 months), and 20 M (20 months), which are approximately equivalent to 34, 65, and 78 years of age in humans, respectively, to determine the effects on naturally aging mice. The effects of the interventions were quantitatively described by behavioral, neuropathological, oxidative, and inflammatory indices and NMR metabolomics using Principal Component Analysis to construct a comprehensive quantitative scoring method. Results: The comprehensive quantitative scores Fsum was highest in the HP group, lowest in the LP group, and in between in the MT group. The HP intervention showed the most significant improvement in the aged group (20 M) mice, with a 35.2% reduction in avoidance latency (p < 0.01) and a 32.9% increase in pyramidal cell density in the hippocampal CA1 region (p < 0.05), while the LP intervention led to a cognitive decline in the mice, with an avoidance latency that was prolonged by 15.2% (p < 0.05). Metabolomics analysis revealed that mouse samples of all ages showed age-dependent metabolic re-adaptation: the 9 M group may reflect gut microbial metabolism rather than direct host TCA cycle activity, suggesting an indirect association with energy metabolism; an enhanced degradation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) was seen in the middle-aged group (16 M); and amino acid biosynthesis was predominant in the old group (20 M). Conclusions: Female mice have sustained neuromotor benefits to high-protein diets at different aging stages, and the dynamics of their protein requirements differ significantly from those of males. The study reveals the critical role of gender factors in protein nutritional strategies and provides an experimental basis for precise protein supplementation in older women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Factors and Interventions for Cognitive Neuroscience)
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Review

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17 pages, 769 KiB  
Review
How the Dietary Saturated/Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Ratio Modulates Brain Function in Older Adults
by C. Lawrence Kien and Julie A. Dumas
Nutrients 2025, 17(11), 1897; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17111897 - 31 May 2025
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Palmitic acid (PA) and oleic acid (OA) are, respectively, the most prevalent saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (SFAs, MUFAs) in the human diet. The objective of this brief review is to explore how this ratio affects brain function. In two double-masked crossover trials [...] Read more.
Palmitic acid (PA) and oleic acid (OA) are, respectively, the most prevalent saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (SFAs, MUFAs) in the human diet. The objective of this brief review is to explore how this ratio affects brain function. In two double-masked crossover trials in young adults, physical activity was greater and systemic inflammatory tone was diminished under a diet with a lower dietary PA/OA ratio compared to that of the typical North American Diet, and anger and total mood disturbance were diminished under the low- compared to the higher-PA/OA diet. In another diet trial in young women, functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that lowering the dietary PA/OA ratio decreased brain activation in regions of the basal ganglia, suggesting that brain function was reversibly altered by the dietary PA/OA ratio. Recently, a crossover trial in older adults showed that a lower dietary PA/OA ratio decreased systemic inflammatory tone and caused the greater activation of a working memory network. As people age, there are declines in cognition that impact functional abilities and independence, but the preservation of structural aspects of the brain in normal aging implies that there is the possibility of slowing, stopping, or reversing cognitive changes that impact daily life. Reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion by lowering habitual PA intake for even brief periods of time may be one modality to improve cognitive function in older adults, not only in those with typical cognitive aging but in those with dementia as well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Factors and Interventions for Cognitive Neuroscience)
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