Clinical trial NCT03776513: Neuro-cognitive Impact of Juvenile Obesity
Official title: Impact of Juvenile Obesity on Emotional Memory and Functional Connectivity Between the Amygdala and the Hippocampus
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Pediatric Obesity
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Emotions
Keywords: obesity, teenagers, emotional memory, brain networks
Lead sponsor: University Hospital, Bordeaux
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Equipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine CNRS UMR 5287 - INCIA
name: University of Bordeaux
First posted: 2018-12-14
Enrollment: 60
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 17
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: Recent studies indicate that obese teenagers exhibit memory disturbances. Adolescence represents a crucial period in the development of the hippocampus and the amygdala, necessary for the implementation of memory and emotional functions for the rest of life. Disturbances of the interaction between amygdala and hippocampus during adolescence have been associated with the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the impact of juvenile obesity on functional amygdala-hippocampus connectivity has not been evaluated yet. The main objective of this study is to compare the emotional memory performance and the level of functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the amygdala during the realization of an emotional associative memory task, in obese and control adolescents.

Detailed description: Obesity increases the prevalence of cognitive impairment. In particular, it can promote disturbances of contextual memory dependent on the hippocampus. Obesity is also associated with negative emotional consequences. However, no clinical study has so far evaluated the effect of obesity on emotional memory, a function underpinned by the amygdala. Recent studies indicate that obese children and adolescents exhibit memory disturbances. Adolescence represents a crucial period in the development of the hippocampus and the amygdala, two brain regions implicated in memory and emotional functions for the rest of life. Changes in connectivity during development, whether structural or functional, are major before the age of 10 and progressive and minor until the age of 30. Disturbances of this amygdala-hippocampal functional connectivity during adolescence have been associated with the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the impact of childhood obesity on functional amygdala-hippocampus connectivity has still not been evaluated. The first aim of the study is to compare the functional connectivity of the hippocampus and the amygdala measured during the realization of an emotional associative memory task or at rest before and after the task between obese teenagers and control teenagers and how closely it is related to emotional memory performances. Secondly, it will be determined whether the level of functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the amygdala is related to cognitive performances and eating symptomatology in obese teenagers.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Experimental group: 12-17 years old boys, BMI\>30 (according to IOTF), right-handed, French secondary school, beneficiary of social security, consent of the holders of parental authority.
* Control group: 12-17 years old boys, BMI\<25 (according to IOTF), right-handed, French secondary school, beneficiary of social security, consent of the holders of parental authority.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Adolescent with pubertal stage of Tanner \<2
* Adolescent with known visual or auditory difficulties
* Adolescent with a known chronic pathology requiring medication
* Adolescent with psychotic, neurodevelopmental or substance use disorder
* Adolescent who may have a contraindication to the MRI examination (presence in the body of metallic prostheses, pacemaker, metal chips, claustrophobia).

Primary outcomes:
measure: the level of connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus recorded during the execution of an emotional memory task in the scanner.
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The level of connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus before and after the task will also be recorded at rest.
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: The score at the emotional memory task performed in the scanner will be collected
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: grey matter volumes (mm3)
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: cortical thicknesses (mm)
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: The percentage of body fat
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: " Paired Associates Learning Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: the number of distinct words for the free-recall phase (" Verbal Recall/Recognition Memory Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination)
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: " Verbal Recall/Recognition Memory Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: Percentage of correct and incorrect responses at the " Emotion Recognition Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: Number of correct or incorrect responses at the " Emotion Recognition Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: Response latencies at the " Emotion Recognition Task " administrated through the CANTAB neuropsychological examination
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
measure: cognitive functioning of the adolescent
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 24 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bordeaux
country: France
facility: Bordeaux University Hospital
Study officials:
References:
citation: Vertes PE, Bullmore ET. Annual research review: Growth connectomics--the organization and reorganization of brain networks during normal and abnormal development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Mar;56(3):299-320. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12365. Epub 2014 Dec 1.