Premium
Central adiposity predicts hippocampal‐dependent relational memory in prepubertal children
Author(s) -
Khan Naiman A,
Baym Carol L,
Raine Lauren B,
Drollette Eric,
Scudder Mark,
Kramer Arthur F,
Cohen Neal J,
Hillman Charles H
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.360.4
Subject(s) - affect (linguistics) , working memory , hippocampal formation , hippocampus , psychology , body mass index , episodic memory , cognition , developmental psychology , endocrinology , medicine , neuroscience , communication
Central adiposity is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome and emerging evidence suggests that excess fat mass may negatively affect brain and cognitive health as well. However, the influence of fat distribution on memory has not been examined in children. We investigated the relationship between adiposity and memory in prepubertal children (8–9 years). Participants (N=50) completed tasks assessing working memory and item and relational long‐term memory, which are known to have different brain substrates. Percent fat mass (%FM) and central adiposity (FM‐abd) were measured by DXA. Item and relational memory accuracy were negatively correlated (p<0.05, one‐tailed) with BMI (r=−0.27 and r=−0.36), %FM (r=−0.27 and r=−0.34), and FM‐abd (r=−0.29 and r=−0.40). Working memory was not related to adiposity. Adjusting for demographics (age, sex, SES), IQ, and VO2 max , regression analyses showed that FM‐abd (β= −0.37, p=0.02) and BMI (β=−0.33, p=0.03) were negatively associated with relational memory. Neither item nor working memory was related to adiposity, and no memory outcomes were related to %FM. Our findings suggest that distinct forms of memory may be differentially affected by weight status and fat distribution. Given the known dependence of relational memory on the hippocampus, central adiposity may selectively affect hippocampal function in prepubertal children. (Funding source: NIH HD069381)Grant Funding Source : NIH HD069381