Groundbreaking research co-authored by La Trobe University PhD candidate Nishat Tabassum reveals that intermittent fasting - eating within set time windows - may help protect the brain against synaptic loss, a key feature of dementia.
“Every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with dementia. Yet, treatment options remain extremely limited,” she says. “Current therapies offer little help in the early stages of the disease, when intervention is most important.”
We know that chronic reduced blood supply to the brain contributes to vascular dementia.
But, we don’t fully understand what leads to synaptic degeneration – the damage in the connections between brain cells, which effects how messages are sent and received in the brain. This is a key driver of cognitive decline in dementia.
To address this gap, Nishat’s research explored how intermittent fasting affects the brain under conditions of reduced cerebral blood flow.
“We found that intermittent fasting offers strong protection at multiple levels,” Nishat says. “It prevents synaptic degeneration and preserves memory engrams, which are the neuronal networks that store our memories.”
The research team also discovered that intermittent fasting boosts protective proteins in the brain and eases metabolic strain, suggesting it could shield brain health in multiple ways.
“Our findings provide strong evidence that intermittent fasting can shield the brain from damage caused by chronic reduced blood flow to the brain,” she says.
“We’re paving the way for lifestyle-based strategies to prevent or delay vascular dementia.”
Nishat hopes to build on this work to further understand the molecular pathways that drive brain resilience.
His supervisor, Professor Garrie Arumugan, agrees.
"We’re paving the way for lifestyle-based strategies to prevent or delay vascular dementia," he says.
