Central adiposity is negatively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory among overweight and obese...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Neuroscience
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Adiposity may influence cognitive development, including memory functions.
• Understanding these links is crucial for early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between adiposity and different memory types in prepubertal children.
• To differentiate associations between hippocampal-dependent and independent memory forms.
• To explore how regional fat distribution affects memory performance.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 126 prepubertal children (aged 7-9) were categorized as non-overweight or overweight/obese based on BMI-for-age.
• Relational (hippocampal-dependent) and item (hippocampal-independent) memory tasks were assessed using behavioral accuracy and preferential disproportionate viewing (PDV).
• Adiposity was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, including regional fat depots. Backward regression analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• In overweight/obese children, increased total abdominal adipose tissue negatively predicted relational memory accuracy.
• For overweight/obese children, pubertal timing and socioeconomic status (SES) predicted the PDV measure of relational memory.
• In non-overweight children, male sex predicted item memory accuracy, while SES and BMI z-score predicted the PDV measure of relational memory.

Conclusions:

• Regional fat deposition, specifically abdominal fat, is negatively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory in overweight/obese prepubertal children.
• Whole-body fat mass did not show a similar selective association with memory performance.
• These findings highlight the specific impact of regional adiposity on cognitive functions in children.