title: Increased brain cortical thickness associated with visceral fat in adolescents.
abstract: There has been a growing amount of evidence indicating that excess visceral fat is associated with alterations in brain structure and function, including brain cortical thinning in adults.
  
  
  
  This study aims to investigate the relationship between brain cortical thickness with obesity assessments, in adolescents.
  
  
  
  In this study, we measured three different obesity assessments within an adolescent population (aged 15 - 18 years): body mass index (BMI), visceral fat ratio measured with an MRI and hepatorenal gradient measured with an ultrasound. Volunteers also underwent an MRI scan to measure brain structure.
  
  
  
  Results indicated that there was no relationship of BMI or hepatorenal gradient with brain cortical dimensions. However, there was a significant association between visceral fat ratio and an increase of cortical thickness throughout the brain.
  
  
  
  These results suggest that visceral fat, but not BMI, is correlated with cortical thickening in adolescence.
authors: PUCRS, Brain Institute (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: R L
authors: RL
authors: Saute
authors: PUCRS, Brain Institute (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: R B
authors: RB
authors: Soder
authors: PUCRS, Brain Institute (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Engenharia, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: J O
authors: JO
authors: Alves Filho
authors: PUCRS, Brain Institute (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Baldisserotto
authors: PUCRS, Brain Institute (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, Brazil.|PUCRS, Faculdade de Engenharia, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: A R
authors: 0000-0002-1552-1090
authors: AR
authors: Franco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: MRI; adolescent obesity; cortical thickness; intra-abdominal fat