title: P300 auditory event-related potentials in children with obesity: is childhood obesity related to impairment in cognitive functions?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate alterations in P300 auditory event-related potentials in children with obesity to detect changes in cognitive functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 children with obesity and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were included in the study. Laboratory tests were performed to detect dislipidemia and insulin resistance (IR). The latencies and amplitudes of P300 waves were measured in healthy and obese subjects with or without IR. The oddball paradigm was used in recordings of P300 auditory event-related potentials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference was observed between groups regarding latency and amplitude of P300 component obtained from central (Cz) electrode. The grand means of P300 latency were longer, and amplitude decreased significantly in obese group compared to that of healthy controls. When the obese group was divided into two different subgroups, those with IR and without IR, the grand means of P300 latency were longer and the amplitude decreased significantly in subjects with IR compared to those without IR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both decreased amplitude and prolonged latency of P300 are associated with IR in children with obesity, which shows the impairment of neural activity associated with sensory and cognitive information processing in these children. Further studies are necessary to strengthen the current findings and to determine the exact mechanism of cognitive impairment in obese children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Emre
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Tascilar
authors.forename: Doga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Turkkahraman
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taskesen
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eker
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abaci
authors.forename: Rusen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dundaroz
authors.forename: Umit Hidir
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Ulas
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception