[Caloric restriction and memory during aging].

INTRODUCTION

To understand the underlying brain mechanisms involved in the aging process and mental deterioration could be key to the development of behavioral patterns that guarantee reaching advanced ages with the highest possible quality of life and reduce the cognitive loss associated with senescence.

AIM

To describe and analyze different animal and human studies that demonstrate that a caloric restriction diet may rescue cerebral aging and the cognitive decline associated to aging.

DEVELOPMENT

For more than 100 years it has been known that caloric restriction extends life span in many laboratory animal. This effect seems to derive from the reduction of age-related symptoms, such as obesity, the onset of cancerous tumors and some metabolic diseases. However, while the consequences of caloric restriction on health are well-established, their ability to reverse age-dependent memory deficits remains a controversial issue. The analyses of the effects of caloric restriction on different animals provides progress for the understanding of its beneficial effects on the neurobiology of cognitive processes during aging.

CONCLUSIONS

Caloric restriction attenuates the normal or pathological aging of the brain and reduces age-related memory problems. Dietary intervention could become a very effective method to promote a better quality of life and prevent the age-related cognitive deficits.