title: Obesity associated with increased brain age from midlife.
abstract: Common mechanisms in aging and obesity are hypothesized to increase susceptibility to neurodegeneration, however, direct evidence in support of this hypothesis is lacking. We therefore performed a cross-sectional analysis of magnetic resonance image-based brain structure on a population-based cohort of healthy adults. Study participants were originally part of the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) and included 527 individuals aged 20-87 years. Cortical reconstruction techniques were used to generate measures of whole-brain cerebral white-matter volume, cortical thickness, and surface area. Results indicated that cerebral white-matter volume in overweight and obese individuals was associated with a greater degree of atrophy, with maximal effects in middle-age corresponding to an estimated increase of brain age of 10 years. There were no similar body mass index-related changes in cortical parameters. This study suggests that at a population level, obesity may increase the risk of neurodegeneration.
authors: Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: lr344@cam.ac.uk.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Ronan
authors: Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, USA.
authors: Aaron F
authors: AF
authors: Alexander-Bloch
authors: Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors: Konrad
authors: K
authors: Wagstyl
authors: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Institute of Metabolic Sciences, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Sadaf
authors: S
authors: Farooqi
authors: Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Brayne
authors: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge Center for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), Cambridge, UK.
authors: Lorraine K
authors: LK
authors: Tyler
authors: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge Center for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), Cambridge, UK.
authors: Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors: Paul C
authors: PC
authors: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001284:Atrophy; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D012306:Risk; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Obesity; Population-based; Structural MRI; White-matter volume