Associations of radiologic characteristics of the neonatal hypothalamus with early life adiposity gain

Abstract

Background: The mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is a key brain area for regulation of energy balance. Previous neuroimaging studies suggest that T2-based signal properties indicative of cellular inflammatory response (gliosis) are present in adults and children with obesity, and predicts greater adiposity gain in children at risk of obesity.

Objectives/methods: The current study aimed to extend this concept to the early life period by considering if, in full-term healthy neonates (up to n = 35), MRI evidence of MBH gliosis is associated with changes in early life (neonatal to six months) body fat percentage measured by DXA.

Results: In this initial study, neonatal T2 signal in the MBH was positively associated with six-month changes in body fat percentage.

Conclusion: This finding supports the notion that underlying processes in the MBH may play a role in early life growth and, by extension, childhood obesity risk.

Keywords: gliosis; hypothalamus; infant; magnetic resonance imaging; newborn; paediatric obesity.