Nucleus accumbens volume is related to obesity measures in an age‐dependent fashion

García‐García, Isabel; Morys, Filip

doi:10.1111/jne.12812

Cited by 22 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The authors concluded that the increase in the volume of the nucleus accumbens at a young age could be a risk factor for obesity in adulthood, in which the decrease in the volume of the nucleus accumbens would be related to a higher BMI. Consequently, this fact could be due to the prolonged effect of neuroinflammation in the brain [70]. found that in men, there was a negative correlation between the waistto-hip ratio and CT, but a positive correlation was found between the latter variable and body fat percentage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…On the other hand, the nucleus accumbens and other mesolimbic areas also seem to play a key role in the pathophysiology of obesity, although the results are heterogeneous, probably due to confounding variables such as the amount of visceral body fat, MRI analysis software or scanner types. In a recent meta-analysis [70], it was found that, in general, the volume of the nucleus accumbens was positively related with the BMI. However, the latter depended on the variable of age, such that for younger people, this relationship would be positive, whereas for older adults, it would be negative.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Obesity and Gray Matter Volume Assessed by Neuroimaging: A Systematic Review

2021

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Obesity has become a major public and individual health problem due to its high worldwide prevalence and its relation with comorbid conditions. According to previous studies, obesity is related to an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. This systematic review aims to further examine the present state of the art about the association between obesity and gray matter volume (GMV) as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A search was conducted in Pubmed, SCOPUS and Cochrane of those studies released before 1 February 2021 including MRIs to assess the GMVs in obese participants. From this search, 1420 results were obtained, and 34 publications were finally included. Obesity was mainly measured by the body mass index, although other common types of evaluations were used (e.g., waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and plasma leptin levels). The selected neuroimaging analysis methods were voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and cortical thickness (CT), finding 21 and 13 publications, respectively. There were 30 cross-sectional and 2 prospective longitudinal studies, and 2 articles had both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Most studies showed a negative association between obesity and GMV. This would have important public health implications, as obesity prevention could avoid a potential risk of GMV reductions, cognitive impairment and dementia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity and Gray Matter Volume Assessed by Neuroimaging: A Systematic Review

2021

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“…In our analyses, people with obesity showed variably smaller volumes in caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus and larger volumes in the NAcc, similar to prior studies (6,32,33). Results from a meta‐analysis have suggested that higher NAcc volume at a young age could be a vulnerability factor for obesity, whereas decreased NAcc volume with increased BMI in older adults is due to the prolonged influence of neuroinflammation on the brain (7). It is unknown whether these structural differences are a vulnerability factor for the development of obesity or a consequence of obesity‐related neuroinflammation or other neurological alterations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nucleus accumbens microstructure mediates the relationship between obesity and eating behavior in adults

Samara

Rutlin

et al. 2021

Obesity

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Objective Basal ganglia regions are part of the brain’s reward‐processing networks and are implicated in the neurobiology of obesity and eating disorders. This study examines basal ganglia microstructural properties in adults with and without obesity. Methods Diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI) images were analyzed to obtain putative imaging markers of neuroinflammation. Relationships between basal ganglia DBSI metrics and reward sensitivity and eating behaviors were also explored. Results A total of 46 participants (25 people with obesity; aged 20‐40 years; 37 women) were included. Relative to the people in the normal‐weight group, people with obesity had smaller caudate and larger nucleus accumbens (NAcc) volumes (p < 0.05) and lower DBSI fiber fraction (reflecting apparent axonal/dendrite density) in NAcc and putamen, higher DBSI nonrestricted fraction (reflecting tissue edema) in NAcc and caudate, and higher DBSI restricted fraction (reflecting tissue cellularity) in putamen (p ≤ 0.01, all). Increased emotional and reward eating behaviors were related to lower NAcc axonal/dendrite density and greater tissue edema (p ≤ 0.002). The relationships between emotional eating and adiposity measures were mediated by NAcc microstructure. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that microstructural alterations in basal ganglia relate to obesity and insights linking NAcc microstructure and eating behavior in adults.

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“…Brain morphological changes in grey and white matter occur across the whole lifespan; however, metabolic changes can also affect brain morphology. Shin et al 1 , Garcia‐Garcia et al 2 and Kullmann et al 3 implemented quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures to investigate the effect of obesity on brain structure. Shin et al 1 show, in a sample of 533 adult participants (aged 36‐65 years), how adiposity‐related insulin resistance is associated with thickness of the human cerebral cortex.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…However, this relationship was not identified in males or younger females. In a meta‐analysis, Garcia‐Garcia et al 2 show that the volume of the nucleus accumbens, a possible key region for the pathophysiology of obesity, exhibits age dependent differences in relation to body mass index (eg, an increase in volume in younger subjects and a decrease in older participants). The negative correlation in older participants may also be related to inflammatory processes, which was further investigated by Kullmann et al 3 Proton density, a quantitative marker for inflammatory processes, was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) independent of age in several brain regions, and particularly in the hypothalamus.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%