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Brain abnormalities in human obesity: a voxel-based morphometric study.

Nicola Pannacciulli1, Angelo Del Parigi, Kewei Chen

  • 1Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA. nicolap@mail.nih.gov

Neuroimage
|March 21, 2006
PubMed
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Obesity is linked to reduced gray matter density in key brain regions, including those controlling taste and behavior. These brain changes may precede or result from excess body fat, impacting overall brain health.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Obesity Research
  • Brain Anatomy

Background:

  • Obesity is a systemic condition associated with tissue damage and increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases.
  • The impact of excess body fat on brain structure remains largely unknown.
  • Understanding brain alterations in obesity is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between excess body fat and regional brain structure abnormalities.
  • To identify specific brain regions affected by obesity using advanced neuroimaging techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on high-definition 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
  • Compared brain structure in 24 obese and 36 lean non-diabetic Caucasian adults.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed gray matter density differences, adjusting for relevant covariates.

    • Main Results:

    • Obese individuals exhibited significantly lower gray matter density in the post-central gyrus, frontal operculum, putamen, and middle frontal gyrus compared to lean individuals.
    • Body mass index (BMI) showed a negative association with gray matter density in the left post-central gyrus among obese subjects.
    • Identified structural brain differences in areas regulating taste, reward, and behavioral control.

    Conclusions:

    • Obesity is associated with significant regional alterations in brain gray matter density.
    • These structural brain changes may serve as a neural marker for weight gain propensity or be a consequence of adiposity.
    • The brain is demonstrably affected by increased adiposity, impacting critical regulatory functions.