Longitudinal sex-specific impacts of high-fat diet on dopaminergic dysregulation and behavior from periadolescence to late adulthood.

Objectives: Obesity is recognized for its adverse impact on brain health and related behaviors; however, the specific longitudinal effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) from juvenile stages of development through late adulthood remain poorly understood, particularly sex-specific outcomes. This study aimed to determine how prolonged exposure to HFD, commencing during periadolescence, would differentially predispose male and female mice to an elevated risk of dopaminergic dysregulation and associated behavioral deficits.

Methods: One-month-old C57BL/6J male and female mice were subjected to either a control diet or an HFD for 5 and 9 months.