Effects of different dietary restriction regimens on cognitive function and pathological markers in Alzheimer's disease mouse models: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Dietary restriction (DR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This systematic review and meta-analysis provides the first comprehensive comparison of five dietary restriction regimens in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Analysis of 23 studies demonstrates that caloric restriction yields the most consistent benefits. While intermittent fasting exhibits model-dependent efficacy-improving recognition memory but exacerbating neuroinflammation in 5 ×FAD models. The fasting-mimicking diet showed the largest effect size. From a geroscience perspective, these findings support a precision nutrition framework for Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that future interventions should be tailored to individual pathological profile, inflammatory status, and impaired cognitive subdomains to optimize therapeutic efficacy.