125. Adiposity-related low-grade inflammation and working memory alterations in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery

TLDR: Findings are consistent with the involvement of low-grade inflammation in working memory alterations associated with obesity, and Improvement of inflammatory profile following weight loss could contribute to reduce cognitive alterations in obese patients.

Abstract: Obesity is related to an increased prevalence of cognitive alterations, including deficits in working memory. Recent evidences suggest that the low-grade inflammatory state characterizing obesity may be involved in these alterations. The objective of our study was to investigate the association of systemic inflammation with working memory performance in obese patients, before and after weight loss induced by bariatric surgery. Forty obese patients were followed before and eleven weeks, on average, after bariatric surgery. A group of twenty healthy volunteers were included to compare working memory performance at baseline. Working memory performance was evaluated using the spatial span test (SSP) from the CANTAB (Cambridge-Neuropsychological-Test-Automated-Battery). Inflammatory markers, CRP and leptin, were measured in obese patients at baseline and at follow-up. As expected, obese patients at baseline exhibited reduced working memory performance compared to healthy subjects, reflected by increased response latency in the SSP. Interestingly, lower SSP performance in obese patients was associated with greater systemic levels of CRP and leptin. Bariatric surgery was associated with a reduction in inflammatory markers concentrations, as well as with decreased response latency in the SSP. The evolution of CRP levels predicted the improvement in working memory performance. These findings are consistent with the involvement of low-grade inflammation in working memory alterations associated with obesity. Improvement of inflammatory profile following weight loss could contribute to reduce cognitive alterations in obese patients.