title: Alterations of the salience network in obesity: a resting-state fMRI study.
abstract: Obesity is a major health problem in modern societies. It has been related to abnormal functional organization of brain networks believed to process homeostatic (internal) and/or salience (external) information. This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis to delineate possible functional changes in brain networks related to obesity. A group of 18 healthy adult participants with obesity were compared with a group of 16 lean participants while performing a resting-state task, with the data being evaluated by independent component analysis. Participants also completed a neuropsychological assessment. Results showed that the functional connectivity strength of the putamen nucleus in the salience network was increased in the obese group. We speculate that this abnormal activation may contribute to overeating through an imbalance between autonomic processing and reward processing of food stimuli. A correlation was also observed in obesity between activation of the putamen nucleus in the salience network and mental slowness, which is consistent with the notion that basal ganglia circuits modulate rapid processing of information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.forename: María Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garolera
authors.forename: Bàrbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Segura
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sala-Llonch
authors.forename: Idoia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marqués-Iturria
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pueyo
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sender-Palacios
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vernet-Vernet
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Narberhaus
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ariza
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Junqué
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008032:Limbic System / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011699:Putamen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult