Key result
Obesity is linked to lower NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in right cerebral deep white matter.
Why the study?
Obesity-related chronic inflammation may contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, prompting evaluation of the neurometabolic profile in obese individuals and its correlation with obesity markers.
Does obesity alter the cerebral neurometabolic profile measured by mvMRS compared to normal-weight controls?
Observational (n=100)
Does obesity alter the cerebral neurometabolic profile measured by mvMRS compared to normal-weight controls?
p-value: p=<0.001
Central obesity and hyperinsulinemia are associated with altered neurometabolic profiles in specific brain regions, suggesting a negative impact on brain metabolism.
Obesity may impair cerebral metabolism; this cross-sectional finding leaves open causality, reversibility, and cognitive implications.
Background and Objectives: Obesity-related chronic inflammation may lead to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the neurometabolic profile of obese patients using cerebral multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (mvMRS) and assess correlations between brain metabolites and obesity markers, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and indicators of metabolic syndrome (e.g., triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)). Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved 100 participants, stratified into two groups: 50 obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and 50 controls (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2). Anthropometric measurements, body fat percentage, and biochemical markers were evaluated. All subjects underwent long- and short-echo mvMRS analysis of the frontal and parietal supracallosal subcortical and deep white matter, as well as the cingulate gyrus, analyzing NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and mI/Cr ratios, along with absolute concentrations of NAA and Cho. Results: Obese participants exhibited significantly decreased NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in the deep white matter of the right cerebral hemisphere (p < 0.001), while absolute concentrations of NAA and Cho did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). NAA levels showed negative correlations with more reliable obesity parameters (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio) but not with BMI, particularly in the deep frontal white matter and dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus of the left cerebral hemisphere. Notably, insulin demonstrated a significant negative impact on NAA (ρ = −0.409 and ρ = −0.410; p < 0.01) and Cho levels (ρ = −0.403 and ρ = −0.392; p < 0.01) at these locations in obese individuals. Conclusions: Central obesity and hyperinsulinemia negatively affect specific brain regions associated with cognitive and emotional processing, while BMI is not a reliable parameter for assessing brain metabolism.
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Vuković et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Obesity (n=100). Obesity vs. Normal-weight controls (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2) was evaluated on NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in the deep white matter of the right cerebral hemisphere (p=<0.001). Obesity was associated with significantly decreased NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in the deep white matter of the right cerebral hemisphere compared to normal-weight controls (p < 0.001).
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