Child overweight and obesity are associated with reduced executive cognitive performance and brain alterations: A magnetic resonance imaging study in Mexican children


Por: Bauer, CCC, Moreno B., González-Santos L., Concha L., Barquera S., Barrios F.A.

Publicada: 1 jun 2015
Resumen:
Background Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effects. It has been proposed that obesity increase the risk for developing cognitive deficits, dementia and Alzheimer's disease and that it may be associated with marked differences in specific brain structure volumes. Objective The purpose of this study was a neurobiopsychological approach to examine the association between overweight and obesity, brain structure and a paediatric neuropsychological assessment in Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age. Methods We investigated the relation between the body mass index (BMI), brain volumetric segmentation of subcortical gray and white matter regions obtained with magnetic resonance imaging and the Neuropsychological Assessment of Children standardized for Latin America. Thirty-three healthy Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age, divided into normal weight (18 children) and overweight/obese (15 children) groups. Results Overweight/obese children showed reduced executive cognitive performance on neuropsychological evaluations (i.e. verbal fluidity, P = 0.03) and presented differences in brain structures related to learning and memory (reduced left hippocampal volumes, P = 0.04) and executive functions (larger white matter volumes in the left cerebellum, P = 0.04 and mid-posterior corpus callosum, P = 0.03). Additionally, we found a positive correlation between BMI and left globulus pallidus (P = 0.012, ? = 0.43) volume and a negative correlation between BMI and neuropsychological evaluation scores (P = 0.033, ? = -0.37). Conclusions The findings contribute to the idea that there is a relationship between BMI, executive cognitive performance and brain structure that may underlie the causal chain that leads to obesity in adulthood. © 2014 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2014 World Obesity.

Filiaciones:
Bauer, CCC:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Neurobiol, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico

Moreno B.:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Neurobiol, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico

González-Santos L.:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Neurobiol, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico

Concha L.:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Neurobiol, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico

Barquera S.:
 Direcciõn de Investigaciõn en Políticas y Programas de Nutriciõn, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad No. 655 Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cerrada los Pinos y Caminera, Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico

Barrios F.A.:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Neurobiol, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico
ISSN: 20476310
Editorial
WILEY-BLACKWELL, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA, Reino Unido
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 10 Número: 3
Páginas: 196-204
WOS Id: 000354217400006
ID de PubMed: 24989945