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Associations between body mass index, sleep-disordered breathing, brain structure, and behavior in healthy children

Jianqi Cui1,2, Guanya Li1,2, Minmin Zhang1,2

  • 1Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education， Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|July 31, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Preventing childhood obesity may reduce sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), abnormal brain development, and psychiatric issues in children. This study links higher body mass index (BMI) to SDB and altered brain structure, with greater impact observed in girls.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Childhood overweight/obesity is linked to sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric issues.
  • The interplay between these factors and brain morphometry in children remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between body mass index (BMI), SDB, psychiatric/cognitive measures, and brain morphometry in children.
  • To explore potential mediation effects of SDB and brain regions on these relationships.
  • To examine sex differences in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset with 8484 children aged 9-11 years.
  • Analyzed correlations between BMI, SDB, psychopathology, cognitive function, and brain morphometry (cortical thickness and volume).
  • Employed mediation analysis to understand the role of SDB and specific brain regions.

Main Results:

  • Positive association found between BMI and SDB.
  • Both BMI and SDB correlated negatively with cortical thickness and volume in several brain regions.
  • SDB partially mediated the effect of overweight/obesity on brain regions.
  • Psychopathology and cognitive function correlated with BMI and SDB.
  • SDB and specific brain regions mediated BMI's effects on externalizing problems and reasoning.
  • Girls showed greater impact of obesity and SDB on brain, cognition, and mental health compared to boys.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood obesity prevention is crucial for mitigating SDB, abnormal neurological/cognitive development, and psychiatric problems.
  • SDB plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between obesity and adverse outcomes.
  • Sex differences highlight the need for tailored interventions.

Keywords:
ABCDBehaviorBrain morphometryChildhood obesitySleep disordered breathing

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