The subject invention concerns the reduction of protein aggregation in the neurons of a mammal through the use of a ketogenic treatment such as a ketogenic diet, a physical training regimen and/or administration of agents to increase fatty acid oxidation. Such ketogenic treatment can be useful in the reduction of certain aggregates including amyloid β peptide, polyglutamine containing huntintin protein, polyglutamine containing androgen receptor, polyglutamine containing atrophin-1, polyglutamine containing ataxins, α-synclein, prion protein, tau and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1).
