JAMA pediatrics: obesity can affect children's brain development

December 22, 2019 / BIOON / -- for a long time, published studies have found a correlation between childhood obesity and decreased brain activity A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that changes in the prefrontal cortex may help explain the interrelationship "Our results show an important link," said Jennifer Laurent, an associate professor at the University of Vermont's Department of nursing "Children with higher BMI tend to have thinner cerebral cortex, especially in the prefrontal area." (image source: www Pixabay Com) the findings are based on data retrieved from the National Institutes of Health funded research project, the adolescent brain cognitive development study, or ABCD, which tracked 10000 adolescents over 10 years The subjects were interviewed every two years for a series of tests, blood samples and brain scans The study analyzed the results of 3190 9 - and 10-year-olds recruited in 21 ABCD locations in 2017 According to the ranking test, subjects with higher BMI tended to have lower working memory Scott Mackey, senior author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont's Lana School of medicine, said the findings confirmed the relationship "In subjects with high BMI, we found that the cortex was generally thinner, especially in the prefrontal area," Mackey said "This is important because we know that executive functions (such as memory and planning) are controlled in that part of the brain." More research is needed to determine the nature of the relationship between these three variables "Thinning of the prefrontal cortex may be affecting some children's decision-making, resulting in unhealthy dietary choices, which may lead to obesity," Laurent said We know from rodent models and adult studies that obesity can induce low levels of inflammation, actually alter cell structure, and possibly lead to cardiovascular disease " "Long term exposure to obesity is likely to cause chronic inflammation in children, which could actually affect their brains in the long run," she said If that is the case, Laurent said, it will have a significant impact on public health "We want to actively encourage changes in children's diet and exercise levels when they are young, but understand that obesity can affect not only the heart, but also the brain." Information sources: objective could affect brain development in children original sources: Jennifer S Laurent, Richard watts, Shana adise, Nicholas Allgaier, Bader chaarani, Hugh Garavan, Alexandra Potter, Scott Mackey Associations among body mass index, critical thickness, and executive function in children JAMA Pediatrics, 2019; DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4708