Relationship between plasma leptin level and brain structure in elderly: a voxel-based morphometric study.
BACKGROUND
Recent accumulating lines of evidence reveal that leptin is associated with synaptic plasticity and neuroprotective activity in the brain.


METHODS
In this preliminary study with a cross-sectional design, we examined the relationship between plasma leptin level and total or regional gray matter (GM) volume in 34 elderly subjects (mean age 64.5 years) with normal fasting glucose level and without dementia and metabolic syndrome by voxel-based morphometry of magnetic resonance imaging scans.


RESULTS
Plasma leptin level showed no significant correlation with total GM volume but showed a significantly positive correlation with GM volumes in the right hippocampus, left parahippocampus, and right cerebellum with adjustments for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (W/H). Also, after adjustments for age, gender, BMI, W/H, and intracranial volume, plasma leptin level significantly positively correlated with GM volumes in the right hippocampus and bilateral cerebella but not with that in the left parahippocampus.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot study would be beneficial for our understanding of the neuroprotective effects of leptin on human brain aging.
Narita
Kosuke
K
Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.
Kosaka
Hirotaka
H
Okazawa
Hidehiko
H
Murata
Tetsuhito
T
Wada
Yuji
Y
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007564:Japan; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D020738:Leptin