title: Cognitive function predicts weight loss after bariatric surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinically significant cognitive impairment is found in a subset of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. These difficulties could contribute to a reduced adherence to postoperative lifestyle changes and decreased weight loss. The present study is the first to prospectively examine the independent contribution of cognitive function to weight loss after bariatric surgery. Executive function/attention and verbal memory at baseline were expected to negatively predict the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) and body mass index (BMI) at follow-up. Three sites of the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery parent project were used: Columbia (New York, NY), Cornell (Princeton, NJ), and the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute (Fargo, ND).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 84 individuals enrolled in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery project undergoing bariatric surgery completed a cognitive evaluation at baseline. The BMI and %EWL were calculated at the 12-week and 12-month postoperative follow-up visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical impairment in task performance was most prominent in tasks associated with verbal recall and recognition (14.3-15.5% of the sample) and perseverative errors (15.5%). After accounting for demographic and medical variables, the baseline test results of attention/executive function and memory predicted the BMI and %EWL at 12 months but not at 12 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results have demonstrated that baseline cognition predicts for greater %EWL and lower BMI 12 months after bariatric surgery. Additional work is needed to clarify the degree to which cognition contributes to adherence and the potential mediation of cognition on the relationship between adherence and weight loss in this group.
authors: Kent State University, Kent, OH 44195 , USA. mspitzna@kent.edu
authors: Mary Beth
authors: MB
authors: Spitznagel
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Garcia
authors: Lindsay A
authors: LA
authors: Miller
authors: Gladys
authors: G
authors: Strain
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Devlin
authors: Rena
authors: R
authors: Wing
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Cohen
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Paul
authors: Ross
authors: R
authors: Crosby
authors: James E
authors: JE
authors: Mitchell
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Gunstad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011581:Psychological Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult