Figure 6:

Chronic high fat diet-induced obesity with insulin resistance impairs spatial learning and memory in an experimental rat model. Adult male Long Evans rats were fed with low (LFD) or high (HFD) fat diets for 6 weeks, which resulted in steatohepatitis, peripheral insulin resistance, visceral obesity and cognitive impairment (de la Monte et al., 2009c). The Morris Water Maze test was performed over a 4-day period with 3 trials per day. Performance on the first two days reflects learning and memory acquisition while the platform is visible but entry points into the maze are varied, and performance on Days 3 and 4 reflects memory consolidation when the maze platform is hidden, and entry points are varied. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) calculations for the latencies (seconds) required to locate and land on the platform were made for each of the 3 daily trials. Intergroup statistical comparisons were made with paired T-tests.