The impact of high-fat, obesogenic diets on brain volume in a commercially available mouse model of fatty liver disease.

Motivation: Large-scale brain imaging studies have shown a significant association between altered brain structure in obesity. However, the exact biological processes remain elusive. Here, we use inbred mice, fed diets with pre-determined caloric contributions to elucidate diet-specific contributions to brain structure alterations in obesity. Goal(s): The goal of this study is to perform morphometric analysis of the brains of a commercially available mouse model of obesity. Approach: Mice were fed regular (5% fat), or obesogenic diets (40% fat). After 8 weeks all mice were scanned using MRI. Results: Obese mice show volume reduction, but not statistically significant. Neocortical volumes were larger in obese mice. Impact: The use of commercially available, diet-induced, obese mouse models provides an opportunity for the neuroimaging community to produce consistent structural and functional to support the assertion that obesity may be a ‘brain disease’.