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Memory Performance in Adolescents Living With Obesity: Brain Activation During Encoding and Retrieval in a
Anaïs Emmie Bouvier1,2, Bixente Dilharreguy1, Ernesto Sanz-Arigita1
1INCIA CNRS UMR 5287 University of Bordeaux Bordeaux France.
Obesity Science & Practice
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Obesity in male adolescents is linked to impaired face recognition memory and altered brain activity. This neurocognitive impairment may contribute to learning difficulties during this critical developmental period.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Adolescent Health
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Obesity impacts adult brain health, causing cognitive impairment and memory deficits.
- Adolescence is a critical period for cognitive development, yet obesity's effects on adolescent cognition are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of obesity on memory performance and brain activation in male adolescents.
- To examine functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) patterns during memory encoding and retrieval in adolescents with and without obesity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of male adolescents living with obesity (N=11) and lean counterparts (N=15) participated.
- Participants completed a novel fMRI memory task involving face-background encoding and recognition.
Main Results:
- Adolescents with obesity showed significantly lower face recognition memory performance (p=0.002).
- Obese adolescents exhibited altered brain activation: hippocampal and parahippocampal hypoactivation during encoding, and precuneus hyperactivation during retrieval (p=0.05).
Conclusions:
- Adolescent obesity is associated with significant neurocognitive impairment, specifically in memory.
- These findings highlight the need for further research into adolescence and the potential contribution of memory deficits to academic challenges in obese youth.
