Eating at The Same Time Everyday Improves Neurodegenerative Symptoms

by Julia Samuel on January 3, 2018 at 3:24 PM

Scheduling a meal time and following the same improves motor activity and sleep quality, according to new research published in eNeuro.

These findings suggest that eating on a strict schedule could improve quality of life for patients with neurodegenerative diseases for which there are no known cures.

Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimer''s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

‘Eating on a strict schedule could improve motor activity and sleep quality in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.’

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Christopher Colwell and colleagues used a well-studied mouse line that models the genetic cause and symptoms of Huntington's disease, including sleep disruptions that appear to be a general feature of neurodegenerative disorders.

By restricting food availability to a 6-hour period in the middle of the period when the mice are active, the researchers demonstrate in these mice improved performance on two different motor tasks and a more typical rhythm of daily activity.

Genetics of Alzheimer´s disease

There are numerous genes that have been discovered that are associated with Alzheimer's disease and indicate increased risk, aiding genetic counseling and better care.

In addition, these mice showed improved heart rate variability, a marker of cardiovascular health, and more typical gene expression in the striatum, a brain region involved in motor control that is susceptible to degeneration in Huntington's disease.

This study, which manipulated the availability but not the quantity of food, points to the time of feeding as an additional environmental signal that might work in conjunction with light to regulate the body clock.

Source: Eurekalert

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