Distinct Patterns of Weight Gain, Age, and Subcortical Microstructure in Early Adolescence

Are restricted normalized isotropic (RNI) scaling factor values, a potential marker of neuroinflammation and synaptic pruning, in brain subcortical appetite-related regions associated with body mass index (BMI)?In this cohort study of 3110 youths, RNI values were associated with being older but not with BMI; however, RNI values had positive bidirectional associations with weight gain at the 2-year follow-up. In females, higher RNI values were associated with greater weight gain over a 2-year period.These findings suggest that higher RNI values may reflect neuroinflammatory processes associated with excessive weight gain, suggesting its potential as an early indicator of obesity-related neurodevelopmental changes.

Corresponding Author: Shana Adise, PhD, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Mailstop 135, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (sadise@chla.usc.edu).

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