{
  "id": 6329388,
  "title": "Brief high-fat diet exposure temporally reshapes affective behavior and prefrontal cortex function",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/brief-high-fat-diet-exposure-temporally-reshapes-affective-behavior",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.748924v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A week-long exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) alters affective behavior and prefrontal cortex function in mice, with time-of-day playing a crucial role in these changes. The study reveals that HFD impacts the intrinsic membrane properties and action potential dynamics of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (plPFC), a region essential for affective behavior and cognitive function. These findings demonstrate that HFD can modify the physiological properties of plPFC pyramidal neurons in both male and female mice, depending on the time of day. The results provide a foundation for investigating the physiological mechanisms through which HFD impacts plPFC function, affective behavior, and cognition. The study emphasizes the importance of considering diet's effects on neural function before the onset of obesity.",
  "summary": "High-fat diet consumption is linked to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and cognitive dysfunction. Energy homeostasis and mood fluctuate throughout the 24-hour day, and perturbations in these rhythms have consequences for brain, body, and behavior. Our recent work demonstrates that layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}