Body Mass Index and its relation to neuropsychological functioning and brain volume in healthy older adults.

Body Mass Index and its relation to neuropsychological functioning and brain volume in healthy older adults. Behav Brain Res. 2018 Apr 21;: Authors: Gogniat MA, Robinson TL, Mewborn CM, Jean KR, Miller LS Abstract Obesity is a growing concern worldwide because of its adverse health effects, including its negative impact on cognitive functioning. This concern is especially relevant for older adults, who are already likely to experience some cognitive decline and loss of brain volume due to aging [63,13]. However, there is some evidence that higher body mass index (BMI) may actually be protective in later life [8-11]. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between BMI and neuropsychological functioning in older adults, and concurrently the relationship between BMI and brain volume. Older adults (N = 88) reported height and weight to determine BMI (M = 26.5) based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Cognitive function was assessed with the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Brain volume measurements were evaluated via structural MRI. Results indicated no association between BMI and neuropsychological functioning. There was a significant association between BMI and total grey matter volume while controlling for age and years of education (β = .208, p = .026, ΔR2 = .043), indicating that as BMI increased, brain volume...
Source: Behavioural Brain Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Behav Brain Res Source Type: research