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Does the brain shrink as the waist expands?
Auriel A Willette1, Dimitrios Kapogiannis1
1Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, 3001 S. Hanover St, NM531, Baltimore, MD 21225, USA.
Ageing Research Reviews
|April 29, 2014
Summary
Higher body weight is linked to brain changes, specifically gray matter (GM) loss in the frontal areas across all ages. Middle-aged and older adults with obesity also show GM atrophy in parietal and temporal regions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
- Gerontology
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are increasingly linked to cognitive decline, particularly executive function.
- Obesity is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, prompting investigation into its effects on brain structure.
- Research is exploring the relationship between adiposity and gray matter (GM) or white matter (WM) atrophy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and evaluate existing studies on obesity and its association with GM or WM volumes.
- To determine if adiposity correlates with global or regional brain atrophy across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and critical evaluation of studies assessing obesity and brain matter volumes.
- Analysis of studies examining both global brain volumes and specific regions of interest (ROIs).
- Categorization of findings based on age groups: children/young adults (<40) and middle-aged/older adults.
Main Results:
- Consistent association found between higher adiposity and frontal GM atrophy across all age groups, especially in the prefrontal cortex.
- In middle-aged and older adults, increased adiposity was linked to parietal and temporal GM atrophy.
- No clear association was observed between higher adiposity and global or regional white matter (WM) volumes in any age group.
Conclusions:
- Higher adiposity is associated with frontal GM atrophy universally.
- Parietal and temporal GM atrophy are linked to higher adiposity in middle-aged and older populations.
- Adiposity does not show a clear association with white matter atrophy.
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