title: Abnormalities of brain neural circuits related to obesity: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging study.
abstract: Increased Body-Mass-Index (BMI) has been associated with brain atrophy in both gray and white matter structures. However, little is known concerning the integrity of white matter tracts in obesity. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the pattern of changes in white matter microstructure in human adiposity.
  
  
  
  The study included 268 participants (52 obese, 96 overweight and 120 normal-weight) that were retrospectively evaluated by Diffusion Tensor Imaging. The fractional anisotropy, axial, radial and mean diffusivity values were compared between the above groups using Tract Based Spatial Statistics.
  
  
  
  The analysis revealed that the increased BMI was related with decreased fractional anisotropy in several white matter regions including the anterior and posterior thalamic radiation, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, the inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus, the corpus callosum (callosal body and forceps minor), the uncinate fasciculus, the internal capsule, the corticospinal tract and the cingulum (cingulate gyrus and hippocampus).
  
  
  
  Anisotropic diffusion of anatomic regions governing important brain circuits such as reward seeking inhibition, motivation/drive and learning/conditioning decreases with increasing BMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Loukas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Astrakas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Xydis
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece. Electronic address: alexiougrg@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Alexiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bargiotas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Loukia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tzarouchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Zikou
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Kiortsis
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Argyropoulou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Body-Mass-Index; Food addiction; Fractional anisotropy; Reward system