Journal Article

Brain structural abnormalities in obesity: relation to age, genetic risk, and common psychiatric disorders

Lagopoulos, Jim, Stein, Dan J, Reneman Liesbeth, Pozzi, Elena, Davey, Christopher G, Schrantee Anouk, Frodl, Thomas, Baune, Bernhard T, Milaneschi Yuri, Li, Meng, Schmaal Lianne, Berger, Klaus, Thalamuthu Anbupalam, Soares, Jair C, Krug Axel, Harrison, Ben J, Sim, Kang, Groenewold, Nynke A, Wittfeld Katharina, Mon-Ju, Wu, Veltman, Dick J, Richter, Maike, Klimes-Dougan Bonnie, Völzke Henry, Benson, Mwangi, Sacchet, Matthew D, Thompson, Paul M, Grabe, Hans J, Van der Auwera Sandra, Cullen, Kathryn R, Gotlib, Ian H, Carballedo Angela, Walter, Henrik, Mueller, Bryon A, MacMaster, Frank P, Brak, Ivan V, Osipov, Evgeniy A, Martin, Walter, Hatton, Sean N, Veer, Ilya M, Flint Claas, Hermesdorf, Marco, Grotegerd Dominik, Zunta-Soares, Giovana B, Aleman, Andre, Dannlowski Udo, Hahn, Tim, Woditsch Georg, McIntosh, Andrew, Nenadic Igor, Whalley, Heather C, Leenings Ramona, Filimonova, Elena A, Harris, Mathew A, Hosten Norbert, Janik, Goltermann, Opel Nils, Penninx Brenda, Kircher Tilo, Hickie, Ian, Nawijn, Laura, Jahanshad Neda, Aftanas Lyubomir, Sämann, Philipp G

2021

Overview

Emerging evidence suggests that obesity impacts brain physiology at multiple levels. Here we aimed to clarify the relationship between obesity and brain structure using structural MRI (n = 6420) and genetic data (n = 3907) from the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) working group. Obesity (BMI > 30) was significantly associated with cortical and subcortical abnormalities in both mass-univariate and multivariate pattern recognition analyses independent of MDD diagnosis. The most pronounced effects were found for associations between obesity and lower temporo-frontal cortical thickness (maximum Cohen´s d (left fusiform gyrus) = −0.33). The observed regional distribution and effect size of cortical thickness reductions in obesity revealed considerable similarities with corresponding patterns of lower cortical thickness in previously published studies of neuropsychiatric disorders. A higher polygenic risk score for obesity significantly correlated with lower occipital surface area. In addition, a significant age-by-obesity interaction on cortical thickness emerged driven by lower thickness in older participants. Our findings suggest a neurobiological interaction between obesity and brain structure under physiological and pathological brain conditions.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Age / Magnetic resonance imaging / Mental depression / Mental disorders / Obesity / Pattern recognition