Original Article

Body mass index and magnetic resonance markers of brain integrity in adults

  1. Stefan Gazdzinski PhD1,*,
  2. John Kornak PhD2,3,
  3. Michael W. Weiner MD1,2,4,5,6,
  4. Dieter J. Meyerhoff and Dr Rer Nat1,2

Article first published online: 11 APR 2008

DOI: 10.1002/ana.21377

Issue

Annals of Neurology

Annals of Neurology

Volume 63, Issue 5, pages 652–657, May 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gazdzinski, S., Kornak, J., Weiner, M. W. and Meyerhoff, D. J. (2008), Body mass index and magnetic resonance markers of brain integrity in adults. Annals of Neurology, 63: 652–657. doi: 10.1002/ana.21377

Author Information

  1. 1

    Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  2. 2

    Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  3. 3

    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  4. 4

    Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  5. 5

    Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  6. 6

    Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

*Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VAMC, 4150 Clement Street (114M), San Francisco, CA 94121

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 MAY 2008
  2. Article first published online: 11 APR 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 11 FEB 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 17 JAN 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 6 SEP 2007

Funded by

  • NIAA. Grant Numbers: R01 AA10788, P01 AA11493

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Abstract

Objective

Obesity and being overweight during adulthood have been consistently linked to increased risk for development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer's disease. They have also been associated with cognitive dysfunction and brain structural alterations in otherwise healthy adults. Although proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy may distinguish between neuronal and glial components of the brain and may point to neurobiological mechanisms underlying brain atrophy and cognitive changes, no spectroscopic studies have yet assessed the relationships between adiposity and brain metabolites.

Methods

We have utilized magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging data from 50 healthy middle-aged participants (mean age, 41.7 ± 8.5 years; 17 women), who were scanned as control subjects for another study.

Results

After adjustment for age and sex, greater body mass indices (BMIs) correlated with: (1) lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (spectroscopic marker of neuronal viability) in frontal (p = 0.001), parietal (p = 0.006), and temporal (p = 0.008) white matter; (2) lower N-acetylaspartate in frontal gray matter (p = 0.01); and (3) lower concentrations of choline-containing metabolites (associated with membrane metabolism) in frontal white matter (p = 0.05).

Interpretation

These results suggest that increased BMI at midlife is associated with neuronal and/or myelin abnormalities, primarily in the frontal lobe. Because white matter in the frontal lobes is more prone to the effects of aging than in other lobes, our results may reflect accelerated aging in individuals with high levels of adiposity. Thus, greater BMI may increase the odds of developing an age-related disease, such as Alzheimer's disease. Ann Neurol 2008

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