IMPACT OF SUGAR CONSUMPTION DURING ADOLESCENCE ON PREFRONTAL MICROCIRCUITS

Sugar is one of the main sources of excess calories in our diets. Although excess sugar intake is known to cause metabolic disturbances, increasing evidence shows that sugar overconsumption also impairs brain functions and mental health. The adolescent brain is extremely plastic and vulnerable to external insults, such as unbalanced dietary habits. This is a topic of concern as in recent years, the consumption of sugary foods and drinks amongst children and teenagers has dramatically increased. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in the control of complex cognitive functions including the flexible control of food choice and food-seeking. We and others previously showed that the PFC exhibits a specific pattern of delayed maturation. Recently we started to unravel the effects of adolescent sugar consumption on prefrontal-related behaviours. However, questions remain about the precise neurobiological mechanisms driving such effects and their development through diet exposure. To address this, male and female mice have free access to standard chow and sugar-enriched diets during all their adolescence period (post-natal day 28 to 63). Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we are currently investigating the impact of prefrontal cortex synaptic transmission and cell excitability at different stages of the diet.