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Anti-depression effects of ketogenic diet are mediated via the restoration of microglial activation and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula
Guan YF, Huang GB, Xu MD, Gao F, Lin S, Huang J, Wang J, Li YQ et al.. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2020-05-12
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Depression is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder, of which the underlying pathological mechanisms remain unclear. The ketogenic diet (KD) has been reported to exhibit preventative effects on depressive-like behaviors in rodents. However, the therapeutic effects of KD on depressive-like behaviors have not been illustrated thus far.
Key findings
- The ketogenic diet (KD) has been reported to exhibit preventative effects on depressive-like behaviors in rodents.
- However, the therapeutic effects of KD on depressive-like behaviors have not been illustrated thus far.
- Here, we found that KD treatment dramatically ameliorated depressive-like behaviors in both repeated social defeat stress (R-SDS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) models, indicating the potential therapeutic effects of KD on depression.
- Our electrophysiological studies further showed that neuronal excitability was increased in the lateral habenula (LHb) of mice exposed to R-SDS or LPS, which can be reversed in the presence of KD treatment.
Why it matters
In rodent models, a ketogenic diet reduced depressive-like behaviors and was linked to restored microglial activation and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula. This is animal work about depression and does not report any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Brain, behavior, and immunity) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Brain Behavior and Immunity: journal h-index 249 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 112 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.0 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 51 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Xiangdong Sun: h-index 27 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Southern Medical University: institution h-index 497 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32413556) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Guan, Y. F., Huang, G. B., Xu, M. D., Gao, F., Lin, S., Huang, J., et al. (2020). Anti-depression effects of ketogenic diet are mediated via the restoration of microglial activation and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula. Brain, behavior, and immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.032
Vancouver
Guan YF, Huang GB, Xu MD, Gao F, Lin S, Huang J, et al. Anti-depression effects of ketogenic diet are mediated via the restoration of microglial activation and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula. Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2020. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.032. PMID: 32413556.
BibTeX
@article{guan2020-32413556,
author = {Guan, Y. F. and Huang, G. B. and Xu, M. D. and Gao, F. and Lin, S. and Huang, J. and Wang, J. and Li, Y. Q. and others},
title = {{Anti-depression effects of ketogenic diet are mediated via the restoration of microglial activation and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula}},
journal = {Brain, behavior, and immunity},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.032},
pmid = {32413556},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.032}
}
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