# Dietary fat ratios influence adolescent depression

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $456,765

## Abstract

Dietary fat ratio's influence on adolescent depression: A nonhuman primate model
Summary
Diets high in saturated fats impact metabolic function in children and may predispose them to the development
of mental illnesses, such as depression and other affective (mood) disorders. This is suggested by the
increased rate of depressive illness diagnoses in children that has occurred simultaneously with an increased
incidence of childhood obesity and metabolic disorders. Several studies have linked consumption of excess
saturated fats with alterations in cognitive performance, and decrements in social behavior, activity levels and
reward processing, all common features of adolescent depression. Controlled mechanistic studies of the
effects of fat intake on affect, however, have been difficult to conduct in human adolescents. Here we propose
to use a small nonhuman primate, the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, to study the relationship between
dietary fatty acid ratios and key components of adolescent depression including problem solving, learning,
social behavior, activity levels, and reward processing. We have previously shown that this family-oriented,
cooperative breeding species shows improved glucoregulatory function with an increasing dietary ratio of
unsaturated to saturated fats. We propose to expand these studies to test the hypothesis that increasing the
amount of unsaturated fats (essential fatty acids) consumed in the form of healthy snacks will improve problem
solving and learning, activity levels and positive social interactions in adolescent marmosets whereas
increasing the amount of saturated fats will produce a negative effect on these measures. We will use 48
marmosets in 3 groups of 16 animals (8 males and 8 females per group) each. Groups 1 and 2 will be fed a
30% increase in fats over their standard, low fat diet and Group 3 will have no increase in fats. Group 1 will
receive high saturated fat supplements, Group 2 will receive balanced saturated/unsaturated fat supplements,
and Group 3 will receive nonfat snacks. We will address the following specific aims. Specific Aim 1: To
determine the effects of three diets differing in fatty acid quantity and balance on neuroendocrine, behavioral,
and brain functional responses to reward processing in adolescent marmosets. We will utilize a separation
social support test to determine neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress with and without social
support and functional MRI to examine activation of specific brain regions related to memory, reward, and
social recognition via familial olfactory cues. Specific Aim 2: To determine the effects of three diets differing in
fatty acid quantity and balance on social behavior, activity levels, and problem solving and learning. We will
use behavioral observations, activity measurements, and a visual discrimination reversal learning task to
evaluate these key components of adolescent mood disorders. Alterations in components of the metabolic
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9985982
- **Project number:** 5R01HD086057-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** RICKI J COLMAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $456,765
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-08 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9985982

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9985982, Dietary fat ratios influence adolescent depression (5R01HD086057-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9985982. Licensed CC0.

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