Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr;34(4):1102-1112.
doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07096-6. Epub 2024 Feb 16.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Circulating Metabolites and Cognitive Performance

Jessica M V Pino  1 , Vitória F Silva  1 , Raquel M S Campos  2 , Marcos Mônico-Neto  2   3 , Kaique A de Araujo  1 , Danielle C Seva  2 , Melissa Y Kato  1 , Thales D Galvão  3 , Lia R A Bitterncourt  4 , Sergio Tufik  4 , Kil S Lee  5
Affiliations

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Circulating Metabolites and Cognitive Performance

Jessica M V Pino et al. Obes Surg. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is an effective intervention to reduce obesity and improve associated comorbidities. However, its effects on cognitive function are still the subject of debate. Given that the bioavailability of circulating metabolites can influence brain metabolism and cognitive performance, we aimed to assess the effects of bariatric surgery on plasma metabolic profiles and cognitive performance.

Methods: We recruited 26 women undergoing gastric bypass surgery. We conducted anthropometric assessments and collected plasma samples for metabolomic analysis. A set of 4 cognitive tests were used to evaluate cognitive performance. Participants were reevaluated 1 year post-surgery.

Results: After surgery, attention capacity and executive function were improved, while immediate memory had deteriorated. Regarding metabolic profile, reduction of beta-tocopherol and increase of serine, glutamic acid, butanoic acid, and glycolic acid were observed. To better understand the relationship between cognitive function and metabolites, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify more homogeneous subgroups based on the cognitive performance. We identified cluster 1, which did not show changes in cognitive performance after surgery, and cluster 2, which showed improved attention and executive function, but reduced performance in the immediate memory test. Thus, cluster 2 was more homogeneous group that replicated the results of non-clustered subjects. Analysis of the metabolic profile of cluster 2 confirmed serine, glutamic acid, and glycolic acid as potential metabolites associated with cognitive performance.

Conclusions: Metabolites identified in this study have potential for biomarkers and alternative therapeutic target to prevent obesity-related cognitive decline.

Key points: • Attention capacity and executive function were improved 12 months post bariatric surgery. • Immediate memory was worsened 12 months post bariatric surgery. • Serine, glutamic acid, and glycolic acid are potential metabolites linked to the alteration of cognitive performance.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Cognition function; Metabolomic.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Mehta M, Istfan NW, Apovian CM. Obesity: overview of weight management. Endocr Pract. 2021;27(6):626–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2021.04.001 . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wiechert M, Holzapfel C. Nutrition concepts for the treatment of obesity in adults. Nutrients. 2021;14:1. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010169 . - DOI
    1. WHO, “Obesity and overweight,” https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight . Accessed 16 Oct 2023
    1. Cooper AJ, Gupta SR, Moustafa AF, et al. Sex/gender differences in obesity prevalence, comorbidities, and treatment. Curr Obes Rep. 2021;10(4):458–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-021-00453-x . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Morys F, Dadar M, Dagher A. Association between midlife obesity and its metabolic consequences, cerebrovascular disease, and cognitive decline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021;106(10):e4260–74. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab135 . - DOI - PubMed - PMC

LinkOut - more resources