Chronic physical exercise alleviates stress-associated amygdala metabolic activity in obese women: A prospective serial 18F-FDG PET/CT study

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Flow chart showing enrollment scheme. This study was composed of two types of investigations: (A) Longitudinal analysis within the obese women exercise cohort from baseline to 3-month after completion of scheduled exercise; and (B) Cross-sectional analysis of post-exercise obese women and non-obese control group. 18F-FDG PET/CT, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT).

• 

  Figure 2. The effect of exercise on clinical parameters of obese women and comparison between post-exercise obese women and control participants (A–G). BMI, body mass index; WC, waist circumference; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; SUVmax, maximum standardized uptake value; BM, bone marrow; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. P-values of BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, spleen SUVmax, BM SUVmax, and hsCRP between baseline and post-exercise obese women were determined using paired t-test. P-values of BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, spleen SUVmax, and BM SUVmax between post-exercise obese women and control group were determined using Student’s t-test. P-value of hsCRP between post-exercise obese women and control group was determined using Mann–Whitney U test. *Statistically significant difference.

• 

  Figure 3. Chronic physical exercise significantly reduced the amygdala activity (AmygA) in obese women. Representative fused images of 18F-FDG PET/CT at baseline- (A), post-exercise obese women (B), and non-obese control group (C). Changes in Amyg SUVmax (D) and Temporal SUVmean (E) between baseline and post-exercise obese women. Changes in AmygA between baseline and post-exercise obese women, and comparison of AmygA between post-exercise obese women and non-obese control group (F). Amyg SUVmax, maximum standardized uptake value of amygdala; Temporal SUVmean, mean standardized uptake value of temporal lobe; AmygA, Amyg SUVmax/Temporal SUVmean. The circular ROI indicates amygdala, and the arrowhead indicates temporal lobe. P-values of Amyg SUVmax, Temporal SUVmean, and AmygA between baseline and post-exercise obese women were determined using paired t-test. P-value of AmygA between post-exercise obese women and control group was determined using Student’s t-test. *Statistically significant difference.