Linking the brain to the most successful bariatric surgery

A new study identified three types of brain reactions that help prevent weight gain after bariatric surgery for the first time.

In a new study, the researchers looked at the brain activity of 16 people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who had undergone weight loss surgery. Brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which detects blood flow to different areas of the brain. They found that there were three different responses in areas of the brain that controlled hunger, appetite, and food intake, which the researchers found different for people on a low-calorie diet.

published in Diabetes Care, is led by researchers from Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The authors suggest that any weight loss program designed to help people with type 2 diabetes can be evaluated using similar scans to determine whether the weight loss is sustainable over the long term.

“These results could be used to develop weight loss programs and non-surgical treatments. By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to see how the brain is responding to treatment, we may be able to improve the performance of these programs. "Little program." "Read More see if this finding repeats itself in a larger group of people undergoing weight loss surgery.

Reciprocal Theories Senior

study author Dr. Victoria Salem, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Endocrinology (Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London) added: "Explain to the patient. Weight loss surgery makes it much easier to maintain weight than people on a strict diet.

Brain Activation Patterns and Weight Loss

Losing weight on low-calorie diets can improve type 2 diabetes, which can last up to two years in some people. The restriction triggers hormonal and metabolic reactions that lead to weight gain again. Only weight loss surgery or obesity can result in permanent weight loss, resulting in long-term improvement in diabetes and a reduced risk of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The mechanisms by which this operation takes advantage are not fully understood.

Several studies have reported changes in brain activation patterns before and after weight loss surgery, but few have focused on participants with diabetes and prediabetes. No one has studied the evolution of these patterns in obesity and diabetes participants who are on diet versus weight loss.

The researchers wanted to study changes in brain activity and weight responses after surgery or a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Between 2016 and 2018, 16 participants were recruited for a study at Hammersmith Hospital, part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The team also recruited 19 identical participants who were on a low-calorie diet (meal replacement) for four weeks.

Participants in the surgery group underwent an MRI scan, which showed them images of low-calorie and high-calorie foods, as well as other non-food items, to the brain's response to measure on these pictures. Gastric bypass surgery was then performed, and another MRI was done four weeks after surgery. Participants in the VLCD group used the same MRI for four weeks before and after starting their 800-calorie diet. Results Between Groups.

After the experiment, the team found that participants in the surgical group lost an average of 12.3 kg, while participants in the VLCD group lost an average of 8.4 kg in four weeks. After 12 months, the VLCD group regained all the weight they had previously lost while the surgical group continued to lose weight.

Three brain responses

After analyzing MRI scans before and after the procedures, the team found that the surgical team members experience three different types of brain reactions associated with long-term weight loss:

First, when the surgery participants viewed pictures of food versus non-objects, the surgery became a significant reduction observed in areas of the brain with a "reward" response to food. In contrast, in people with VLCD, activation of these areas increased in response to food images.

Second, in the VLCD group, after viewing food pictures, the activation of the food restriction areas increased. This was not found in the operations group. The researchers believe that VLCD participants should do more to suppress food cravings than those who have had bariatric surgery.

Eventually, the team found that the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that unconsciously controls appetite and weight, was more likely to be associated with higher brain centers involved in conscious thinking than the VLCD group. Researchers suggest that by providing unconscious feedback from the hypothalamus to the conscious mind, this stronger connection may help reduce hunger pangs and the need to eat high-calorie foods. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are one of the biggest global health challenges, but after VLCD, people tend to gain weight again. are obese It is believed that obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 80 to 85 percent. Many people also have prediabetes, where blood sugar levels are higher than expected health systems around the world have invested heavily in population-based weight-loss strategies to help alleviate these health problems. Health continues. By discovering these brain responses, it may be possible to assess the persistence of weight loss after various types of weight loss treatments, such as: For example, new diets and medications can be assessed using MRI scans.