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Related Concept Videos

Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...
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Gut-Brain Axis

The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional communication system that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. This interaction is mediated through multiple pathways, including the vagus nerve, hormonal signals, immune responses, and chemical messengers produced by gut microbes.Microbial Contributions to Brain FunctionGut microbiota contributes significantly to brain function by producing neuroactive compounds. These include neuroactive compounds that influence neurotransmitters such as...
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Bone Disorders

Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...

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Increased body mass index is associated with a global and distributed decrease in white matter microstructural

Timothy D Verstynen1, Andrea M Weinstein, Walter W Schneider

  • 1Department of Psychology, 342c Baker Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. timothyv@cmu.edu

Psychosomatic Medicine
|August 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Higher body mass index (BMI) is linked to reduced white matter integrity in the brain. This study shows obesity impacts brain structure, potentially explaining cognitive deficits associated with poor physical health.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Radiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Obesity and poor physical health are associated with cognitive impairments.
  • These cognitive deficits suggest a widespread neural mechanism affected by body mass index (BMI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the microstructural integrity of white matter fiber connections in the human brain.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess white matter structure in 28 participants.
  • Participants' BMI ranged from normal weight to obese (19.5-45.7 kg/m²).
  • Whole-brain voxelwise analysis was performed to correlate BMI with white matter integrity metrics.

Main Results:

  • Fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter significantly decreased with increasing BMI across 63% of voxels.
  • Midbrain and brainstem tracts showed the strongest association with obesity.
  • Individuals with higher BMI exhibited a weaker overall diffusion signal, with decreased FA attributed to altered axial and radial diffusivity.

Conclusions:

  • Increased BMI is globally linked to reduced white matter integrity throughout the brain.
  • This finding provides a potential mechanism explaining how physical health status influences cognitive function.