ArticleHuman brain mapping2010
Brain structure and obesity.
Article in Human brain mapping, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 386 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
386 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 695 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sustained visceral fat loss is associated with attenuated brain atrophy and improved cognitive function in late midlife.Nature communications · 2026Pooled it
- Optimal dosage of exercise interventions for enhancing inhibitory control in overweight and obese children and adolescents: insights from a multilevel meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Body size estimation in obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Experimental brain research · 2021Pooled it
- Factors associated with brain ageing - a systematic review.BMC neurology · 2021Pooled it
- Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of blood DNA methylation and its association with subcortical volumes: findings from the ENIGMA Epigenetics Working Group.Molecular psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Obesity and Binge Eating Associated Impairment of the Cognitive Inhibition System.Frontiers in nutrition · 2021Pooled it
- The effects of physical activity on brain structure and neurophysiological functioning in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2020Pooled it
- Neuroanatomical differences in obesity: meta-analytic findings and their validation in an independent dataset.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2019Pooled it
- Obesity-related differences in amygdala and hippocampal volume and metabolism before and after a placebo-controlled antidepressant trial in major depressive disorder.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Brain and behavioral correlates of insulin resistance in youth with depression and obesity.Hormones and behavior · 2019Trial
- Associations between polygenic risk for obesity, body mass index and cognitive performance: Age as moderating factor.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Identification of critical brain regions for young adults with obesity and their relationships with impulsivity using machine learning based on neuroanatomical features.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2026Article
- High-Resolution Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging of Hippocampus Subfields Across the Healthy Lifespan.NMR in biomedicine · 2026Article
- The role of metabolic health in neurostructural and cognitive alterations in bipolar disorders.Psychological medicine · 2026Article
- Aging and metabolism contribute separately to brain-body health.PLoS biology · 2026Article
- Article
- Research Advances of Neuroregulatory Effects of Dietary Polyphenols on Obesity Complications.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Article
326 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Obesity is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular health problems including diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. These cardiovascular afflictions increase risk for cognitive decline and dementia, but it is unknown whether these factors, specifically obesity and Type II diabetes, are associated with specific patterns of brain atrophy. We used tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to examine gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume differences in 94 elderly subjects who remained cognitively normal for at least 5 years after their scan. Bivariate analyses with corrections for multiple comparisons strongly linked body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma insulin (FPI) levels, and Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) with atrophy in frontal, temporal, and subcortical brain regions. A multiple regression model, also correcting for multiple comparisons, revealed that BMI was still negatively correlated with brain atrophy (FDR <5%), while DM2 and FPI were no longer associated with any volume differences. In an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) model controlling for age, gender, and race, obese subjects with a high BMI (BMI > 30) showed atrophy in the frontal lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, and thalamus compared with individuals with a normal BMI (18.5-25). Overweight subjects (BMI: 25-30) had atrophy in the basal ganglia and corona radiata of the WM. Overall brain volume did not differ between overweight and obese persons. Higher BMI was associated with lower brain volumes in overweight and obese elderly subjects. Obesity is therefore associated with detectable brain volume deficits in cognitively normal elderly subjects.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.