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Sleeve Gastrectomy in Mice using Surgical Clips
Published on: November 14, 2020
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Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy improves brain connectivity in obese patients
Yang Hu1, Gang Ji2, Guanya Li1
1Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, Shaanxi, China.
Journal of Neurology
|March 15, 2020
Summary
Bariatric surgery enhances brain connectivity between key self-regulation regions, improving weight loss by strengthening top-down control over food intake. This study reveals how surgery impacts brain structure and function in obese individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Obesity Research
- Bariatric Surgery
Background:
- Obesity is linked to functional brain abnormalities in frontal-limbic regions.
- Bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for morbid obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how bariatric surgery affects brain activation and functional connectivity (FC) to food cues.
- To determine if structural connectivity (SC) alterations contribute to functional and behavioral changes post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Used functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 28 obese patients before and 1 month after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).
- Compared changes with 22 obese controls over the same period.
- Assessed brain reactivity, FC, and SC in response to high- and low-calorie food cues.
Main Results:
- LSG reduced right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation to high-calorie cues.
- LSG increased FC and SC between DLPFC and the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC).
- Increased SC and FC correlated with greater BMI reduction and mediated the relationship between BMI and connectivity.
Conclusions:
- LSG may promote weight loss by enhancing SC and FC between DLPFC and ACC.
- These connectivity changes potentially strengthen top-down control over food intake.
