BACKGROUND: The basal ganglia, hippocampus, and thalamus are involved in the regulation of human feeding behavior. Recent studies have shown that obesity [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) > 30] is associated with loss of gray and white matter. OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether the subcortical brain structures that are actually involved in feeding behavior also show volume changes in obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the volumes of the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and thalamus in obesity. DESIGN: Three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain were analyzed by using automatic segmentation to measure volumes of the nucleus accumbens, globus pallidus, amygdala, putamen, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and hippocampus in 471 subjects (mean age: 74.4 y; 56% men). RESULTS: Obese subjects had larger left (P = 0.013) and right (P = 0.003) amygdalar volumes and a larger left hippocampal volume (P = 0.040) than did normal-weight subjects (BMI < 25). None of the other subcortical structures differed in size between these groups. After correction for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, and pravastatin use, BMI was associated with left (β = 0.175, P = 0.001) and right (β = 0.157, P = 0.001) amygdalar volumes and with left hippocampal volume (β = 0.121, P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the amygdala and hippocampus are enlarged in obesity. In consideration of the function of these structures, this finding may indicate that hedonic memories could be of major importance in the regulation of feeding. Because of the cross-sectional design, cause and effect could not be discriminated in this study.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The basal ganglia, hippocampus, and thalamus are involved in the regulation of human feeding behavior. Recent studies have shown that obesity [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) > 30] is associated with loss of gray and white matter. OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether the subcortical brain structures that are actually involved in feeding behavior also show volume changes in obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the volumes of the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and thalamus in obesity. DESIGN: Three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain were analyzed by using automatic segmentation to measure volumes of the nucleus accumbens, globus pallidus, amygdala, putamen, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and hippocampus in 471 subjects (mean age: 74.4 y; 56% men). RESULTS:Obese subjects had larger left (P = 0.013) and right (P = 0.003) amygdalar volumes and a larger left hippocampal volume (P = 0.040) than did normal-weight subjects (BMI < 25). None of the other subcortical structures differed in size between these groups. After correction for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, and pravastatin use, BMI was associated with left (β = 0.175, P = 0.001) and right (β = 0.157, P = 0.001) amygdalar volumes and with left hippocampal volume (β = 0.121, P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the amygdala and hippocampus are enlarged in obesity. In consideration of the function of these structures, this finding may indicate that hedonic memories could be of major importance in the regulation of feeding. Because of the cross-sectional design, cause and effect could not be discriminated in this study.
Authors: Sean R McWhinney; Katharina Brosch; Vince D Calhoun; Benedicto Crespo-Facorro; Nicolas A Crossley; Udo Dannlowski; Erin Dickie; Lorielle M F Dietze; Gary Donohoe; Stefan Du Plessis; Stefan Ehrlich; Robin Emsley; Petra Furstova; David C Glahn; Alfonso Gonzalez-Valderrama; Dominik Grotegerd; Laurena Holleran; Tilo T J Kircher; Pavel Knytl; Marian Kolenic; Rebekka Lencer; Igor Nenadić; Nils Opel; Julia-Katharina Pfarr; Amanda L Rodrigue; Kelly Rootes-Murdy; Alex J Ross; Kang Sim; Antonín Škoch; Filip Spaniel; Frederike Stein; Patrik Švancer; Diana Tordesillas-Gutiérrez; Juan Undurraga; Javier Váquez-Bourgon; Aristotle Voineskos; Esther Walton; Thomas W Weickert; Cynthia Shannon Weickert; Paul M Thompson; Theo G M van Erp; Jessica A Turner; Tomas Hajek Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2022-06-14 Impact factor: 13.437
Authors: Yi Zhang; Ju Liu; Jianliang Yao; Gang Ji; Long Qian; Jing Wang; Guansheng Zhang; Jie Tian; Yongzhan Nie; Yi Edi Zhang; Mark S Gold; Yijun Liu Journal: Nutrients Date: 2014-11-18 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: D J Bond; L E Silveira; E L MacMillan; I J Torres; D J Lang; W Su; W G Honer; R W Lam; L N Yatham Journal: Transl Psychiatry Date: 2017-03-28 Impact factor: 6.222