Volume Data

Data supporting the paper: Association
between regional brain volumes and BMI z-score change over one year in children

Abstract:Purpose: Associations between brain
region volume and weight status have been observed in children
cross-sectionally. However, it is unclear if differences in brain region volume
precede weight gain. Methods: Two
high-quality structural brain images were obtained approximately one year apart
in 65 children aged 9-12 years old. Children’s
height and weight were also measured at each scan. Structural images were
processed using the FreeSurfer software-package providing volume measures for regions
of interest including the entorhinal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and
hippocampus. Age- and sex-adjusted BMI z-scores (BMIz) were calculated at both
timepoints. The association between brain region volume and BMIz was examined cross-sectionally
using linear regression and longitudinally using structural equation modeling.
All models were adjusted by estimated cranial volume to account for individual
variation in head size and were corrected for multiple comparisons (pFDR<0.05). Results:
The sample of children was primarily healthy weight at baseline (79.78%). Cross-sectionally at the one-year
follow-up, a positive relationship was observed between right hippocampal
volume and BMIz (

). Longitudinally a
negative relationship was observed between left entorhinal volume at baseline
and BMIz at the one-year follow-up (

). Conclusion:
These results suggest
that measured volumes from certain regions of the brain that have been associated
with BMI in adults are associated with both concurrent BMIz and BMIz change
over one-year in a primarily healthy weight sample of children. As the entorhinal cortex integrates signals
from both reward and control regions, this region may be particularly important
to weight management during child development.