Body fat, cognitive performance and inflammatory cytokines in healthy, young women

Introduction: There is growing evidence indicating that being overweight and obese has a negative impact on the central nervous system. It was also demonstrated that excessive body fat coincides with lower levels of cognitive functions. The potential mechanism by which the excessive adipose tissue can negatively influence cognitive performance is unclear. However, it is generally accepted that the negative impact of body fat on cognitive function may be mediated by inflammatory cytokines. The current study examines the impact of body fat on cognitive performance in young, healthy people. The authors also attempt to determine the potential mechanism of such an impact. Material and methods: 38 women, age 21.65 ± 1.45 took part in this study. To evaluate the cognitive performance of the present subjects, standard cognitive tests were used: the Face/name Association Test, Stroop Test, and Trail Making Test. The level of fat tissue was determined by a body composition analyzer (Tanita, type BC-418MA). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were determined in serum using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (LDN GmbH & Co., Nordhorn, Germany). Results: A statistically significant relationship was observed between the percentage of body fat tissue and the level of TNF-α as well as waist-hip ratio and IL-6. A negative correlation was demonstrated between the level of IL-6 and cognitive performance. A statistically significant correlation between the level of TNF-α and the results of cognitive tests was not observed. Conclusions: This study confirms that an increase in body fat content leads to a decreasing level of cognitive performance. Also, demonstrated was a negative correlation between the level of IL-6 and the results of cognitive tests in young people.