Surgery-induced reduction in inflammation relates to improved neural inhibitory control in obesity
Poster No:
724
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Lisa-Katrin Kaufmann1, Emma Custers2, Debby Vreeken2, Jessica Snabel3, Martine Morrison3, Robert Kleemann3, Maximilian Wiesmann2, Esther Aarts4, Amanda Kiliaan2
Institutions:
1Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 2Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, Gelderland, 3Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Leiden, South Holland, 4Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Gelderland
First Author:
Lisa-Katrin Kaufmann
Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Co-Author(s):
Emma Custers
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Debby Vreeken
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Jessica Snabel
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Martine Morrison
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Robert Kleemann
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Leiden, South Holland
Maximilian Wiesmann
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Esther Aarts
Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Amanda Kiliaan
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud university medical center
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Introduction:
Individuals with obesity often exhibit deficits in overriding automatic response tendencies, known as inhibitory control (Lavagnino et al., 2016; Restivo et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2018). Low-grade systemic inflammation, which is prevalent in obesity, has been associated with greater deficits (Chen et al., 2021; Shi et al., 2022). To mitigate the serious health consequences of obesity, metabolic bariatric surgery is frequently employed to induce weight loss (Colquitt et al., 2014). However, little is known about how bariatric surgery-induced decreases in systemic inflammation on the neural processing of inhibitory control in individuals with obesity. Here, we investigate the effects of metabolic bariatric surgery on systemic inflammation and its influence on the neural mechanisms underlying inhibitory control.
Methods:
In a sample of 47 individuals with obesity (Fig. 1), we assessed inhibitory control processing both pre- and 2 years post-surgery by probing neural activation and connectivity during an fMRI Stroop task (Stroop, 1935). First, we investigated whether surgery-induced changes in key markers of systemic inflammation were linked to changes in neural activation during inhibitory control processing, focusing on brain regions sensitive to inflammation (Kaufmann et al., 2024). Second, we analyzed associated changes in functional connectivity during inhibitory control processing using generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses (RRID: SCR_009489; McLaren et al., 2012), to assess alterations in neural circuits required for task performance. Third, we investigated whether inflammation-related changes in neural responses were linked to changes in behavior. Data were collected as part of the BARICO (Bariatric surgery Rijnstate and Radboudumc neuroimaging and Cognition in Obesity) study. This study was prospectively registered with the Dutch Trial Register Onderzoekmetmensen.nl (trial number NTR29050).
·Figure 1
Results:
Longitudinal analyses revealed decreased Stroop-related activation in the caudate nucleus and the left insula following surgery. These activation changes were accompanied by inflammation-related changes in functional coupling with medial superior frontal regions (Fig. 2). Specifically, greater decreases in leptin (pro-inflammatory) post-surgery were associated with decreased connectivity between the anterior insula and the medial superior frontal regions, while increases in macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF, potentially neuroprotective) were linked to enhanced connectivity between the caudate nucleus and the medial superior frontal gyrus. Importantly, improved functional coupling between the caudate nucleus and the medial superior frontal gyrus was predictive of better task performance.
·Figure 2
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that surgery-induced reductions in systemic inflammation may improve inhibitory control in individuals with obesity by promoting neural changes in inflammation-sensitive brain regions and their functional interactions. This underscores the potential cognitive benefits of weight loss interventions in managing obesity and highlights the importance of addressing systemic inflammation in therapeutic strategies.
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Executive Function, Cognitive Control and Decision Making 1
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Activation (eg. BOLD task-fMRI)
fMRI Connectivity and Network Modeling 2
Keywords:
Cognition
DISORDERS
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Treatment
Other - Inflammation
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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