Body fat and the cognitive pattern: A population‐based study. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tikhonoff, Valérie; Casiglia, Edoardo; Guidotti, Federica; Giordano, Nunzia; Martini, Bortolo; Mazza, Alberto; Spinella, Paolo; Palatini, Paolo
• Is Part Of: Obesity. Volume 23:Number 7(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1502
• Page End: 1510
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.398005
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.21114
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1930-7381

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="oby21114-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>The relationship between body fatness and cognitive pattern at a population level was investigated.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21114-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Among 500 unselected subjects from the general population, the role of body mass index (BMI) and body fat mass (BFM) on a mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) and on a battery of paper and pencil neuropsychological tests was analyzed. Multiple linear regressions, accounting for potential confounders, were used.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21114-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>In fully adjusted models, MMSE (coefficient +0.027, 95% confidence intervals, 0.017‐0.177), the clock drawing test (+0.141, 0.053‐0.226), and the trail making test A (+1.542, 0.478‐2.607) were positively associated with BMI. Adding BFM to the models, no associations were observed. The tests were also positively associated with BFM (+0.056, 0.021‐0.091; +0.063, 0.025‐0.101; +0.592, 0.107‐1.077; respectively). At analysis of covariance, the same tests were significantly better performed over 29.4 kg m<sup>−2</sup> of BMI. After adding BFM as further confounder, all differences in performance across BMI were no longer significant. The three tests were better performed over 34.6 kg of BFM.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21114-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Higher BMI and particularly higher BFM are positively associated with better performance at the cognitive tasks exploring selective attention and executive functions.</p> </sec> </abstract>