Key result
Bariatric surgery did not substantially improve cognitive performance compared to controls at 6 months, but was associated with larger gray matter volume in fronto-temporal brain areas.
Why the study?
Dietary weight loss may improve brain health, but the effects of bariatric surgery and specific procedures on cognitive function and gray matter volume require investigation.
Does bariatric surgery improve cognitive function and gray matter volume in patients with morbid obesity?
Observational
Does bariatric surgery improve cognitive function and gray matter volume in patients with morbid obesity?
Bariatric surgery may lead to structural brain reorganization at 6 months, despite no significant changes in cognitive performance compared to controls.
Bariatric surgery should not yet alter cognitive care in obesity; leaves open whether early gray matter changes yield later functional gains.
Dietary modifications leading to weight loss have been suggested as a means to improve brain health. In morbid obesity, bariatric surgery (BARS)-including different procedures, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), gastric banding (GB), or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery-is performed to induce rapid weight loss. Combining reduced food intake and malabsorption of nutrients, RYGB might be most effective, but requires life-long follow-up treatment. Here, we tested 40 patients before and six months after surgery (BARS group) using a neuropsychological test battery and compared them with a waiting list control group. Subsamples of both groups underwent structural MRI and were examined for differences between surgical procedures. No substantial differences between BARS and control group emerged with regard to cognition. However, larger gray matter volume in fronto-temporal brain areas accompanied by smaller volume in the ventral striatum was seen in the BARS group compared to controls. RYGB patients compared to patients with restrictive treatment alone (VSG/GB) had higher weight loss, but did not benefit more in cognitive outcomes. In sum, the data of our study suggest that BARS might lead to brain structure reorganization at long-term follow-up, while the type of surgical procedure does not differentially modulate cognitive performance.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Prehn et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Morbid obesity. Bariatric surgery vs. Waiting list control group was evaluated on Cognitive function and gray matter volume. Bariatric surgery did not substantially improve cognitive performance compared to controls at 6 months, but was associated with larger gray matter volume in fronto-temporal brain areas.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: