BrainsCAN postdoctoral fellow Amy Reichelt describes her recent research within the TCNLab that shows perineuronal nets and the neurons they encase can be damaged by high-fat high-sugar diets.

“A poor diet might be damaging more than your waistline – it might be leading to cognitive decline and poor memory, according to Western-led research released this week.

The study, Perineuronal Nets: Plasticity, Protection, and Therapeutic Potential, describes the critical importance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) – structures that enmesh certain neurons in the brain – in protecting the neuron and regulating how often the brain turns experiences into memories.

Amy Reichelt, a BrainsCAN Postdoctoral Fellow, along with Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry neuroscientists Lisa Saksida and Tim Bussey, investigated PNNs to find out what effect they have on the brain and what happens when they’re not working.”

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