Gray matter volume increases induced by intragastric balloon treatment and their associations with neuroinflammation: A magnetic resonance study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

We simultaneously performed structural MRI, 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and whole-body hydration status assessment to evaluate brain changes in patients with morbid obesity treated with intra-gastric balloon (IGB) for six months. We asked, if changes in myo-inositol ratios (marker of neuroinflammation) are related to brain volume increases accompanying IGB-induced weight loss.

METHODS:

Twenty five patients with morbid obesity (OB, 43.9 ± 11.8 years, BMI = 49.1 ± 7.2, 12 females, 9 without co-morbid conditions) were treated with IGB for six months. They underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 3T one month before IGB insertion, three months after insertion (N = 19), and one month after IGB removal (N = 14).

RESULTS:

Insertion of IGB lead to 8.9% and 12.3% weight reduction over the first three months and over the entire treatment, respectively. Over the entire treatment, total gray matter volume increased by 2.0% (p = 0.009). These changes were mostly pronounced in the left precuneus and in the right frontal pole (>1.9%, p < 0.009). The increases in cortical volume in the right hemisphere and the left posterior cingulate cortical thickness over the entire treatment were significantly related to decreases in myo-inositol ratios measured over the first three months of the treatment (r < -0.740, p < 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS:

IGB treatment lead to brain structural improvements consistent with earlier studies of bariatric patients without co-morbid conditions. Our results also pointed to improvements in brain regions, where atrophy in other studies was related to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The correlations point to neuroinflammation as one of the potential processes behind brain volume reductions in patients with morbid obesity.

• Authors: Stefan P Gazdzinski, Aleksandra Mojkowska, Agata Gaździńska, Maria Gorycka, Piotr Zieliński, Ryszard Pacho
• Journal: Obesity research & clinical practice (Obes Res Clin Pract) 2021 Sep-Oct Vol. 15 Issue 5 Pg. 455-460 ISSN: 1871-403X [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 34426101 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Female
• Gastric Balloon
• Gray Matter (diagnostic imaging)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy