Folic Acid Supplementation and Neurological Function in a Drosophila Model

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease with few treatments.1 Some studies support the therapeutic effect of folic acid supplementation for Alzheimer’s patients.2 Therefore, two fruit fly strains (W1118 and Appld) known for memory defects and two control strains were fed a regular, control diet or a folic acid supplementation diet. Two reflexes, phototaxis and negative geotaxis, were tested as a proxy for nervous system function. Assays were conducted every five days over a twenty day period. Statistical analysis revealed that folic acid supplementation improved climbing performance in one strain.