Obesity-Induced Neuroinflammation: Beyond the Hypothalamus

Obesity is now a worldwide health issue. Far from being limited to weight gain, obesity is generally associated with low-grade inflammation and with a cluster of disorders collectively known as the 'metabolic syndrome'. When considering obesity and the subsequent neuroinflammation, the focus was long set on the hypothalamus. More recently, obesity-derived neuroinflammation has been shown to affect other brain structures such as the hippocampus, cortex, brainstem, or amygdala. Furthermore, obesity has been associated with increased occurrence of central disorders such as depression and impaired cognitive function. We discuss here the effects and mechanisms of obesity-derived neuroinflammation, with a specific emphasis on extra-hypothalamic structures, as well as the repercussions of neuroinflammation for some cerebral functions.