Neurometabolic Profile in Obese Patients: A Cerebral Multi-Voxel Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Metabolic Disorders
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Obesity-induced chronic inflammation may contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
• Understanding the brain's metabolic profile in obesity is crucial for identifying neurological risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neurometabolic profile of obese individuals using multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (mvMRS).
• To correlate brain metabolites with obesity markers and metabolic syndrome indicators.
• To assess the impact of central obesity and hyperinsulinemia on brain metabolism.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 100 participants (50 obese, 50 controls).
• Evaluation of anthropometric measurements, body fat percentage, and biochemical markers.
• Cerebral mvMRS analysis of white matter and cingulate gyrus, assessing metabolite ratios (NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, mI/Cr) and absolute concentrations.

Main Results:

• Obese participants showed decreased NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in deep white matter (p < 0.001).
• NAA levels negatively correlated with waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, but not BMI.
• Insulin significantly negatively impacted NAA and Cho levels in specific brain regions of obese individuals (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Central obesity and hyperinsulinemia adversely affect brain regions involved in cognitive and emotional processing.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) is an unreliable marker for assessing brain metabolism in obesity.
• mvMRS can detect neurometabolic alterations associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction.