Grantee in the News: Ai-Ling Lin Explores Caloric Restriction’s Effect on Brain Function
On July 2, 2014, the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism released a study authored by a team including, 2012 AFAR Research Grant recipient Ai-Ling Lin, P.h.D. Dr. Lin’s research on the effects of caloric restriction on age-related decline in brain function, was funded, in part, through her AFAR Award.
Mitochondrial function declines have been proposed to be a major factor in the loss of age-related brain function. By comparing rates of neuronal glucose oxidation and glutamate in young rats, control group old rats, and old Caloric Restricted rats, Dr. Lin and her team found that old Caloric Restricted rats preserved rates of neuronal energy production and neurotransmission better than older rats not on Caloric Restricted diets.
Dr. Lin’s results are consistent with other findings that long-term Caloric Restriction preserves mitochondrial function and prolongs longevity in some species of rodents.
To read a brief of the research or to purchase the article, click here.
Dr. Lin serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky.
For more information on the effects of Caloric Restriction and longevity visit InfoAging.