Cognitive Control and Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery: the BARICO Study

Background and Objectives Bariatric surgery (BS) is an effective treatment for obesity. However, some individuals experience insufficient weight loss after surgery. Therefore, we investigated whether cognitive control affects weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Methods Within this exploratory observational study, part of the BARICO study (BAriatric surgery Rijnstate and Radboudumc neuroImaging and Cognition in Obesity), participants aged between 35 and 55 years eligible for RYGB were included. Before and after BS, body weight, (delta) BMI and percentage total body weight loss (%TBWL) were determined. Additionally, at baseline, Stroop task-performance, -activation and -connectivity were assessed by a color-word paradigm task during functional neuroimaging to determine the ability of participants to inhibit cognitive interference. Results Seventy-six participants were included, of whom 14 were excluded from fMRI analysis, leaving 62 participants. Participants were aged 45.0 +/- 5.9 years with a mean pre-surgery BMI of 40.2 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2), and 86% were women. Mean decrease in BMI was 13.8 +/- 2.5 kg/m(2), and mean %TBWL was 34.9 +/- 6.3% 1 year after BS. Stroop task performance did not correlate with (delta) BMI and %TBWL. The inferior parietal/middle occipital gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and supplementary motor cortex were involved in cognitive interference, although activity in these regions did not predict weight loss after surgery. Lastly, generalized psychophysiological interaction did not provide evidence for (delta) BMI- and %TBWL-dependent connectivity modulation. Discussion Cognitive control did not predict weight loss after surgery. Future studies should focus on longer follow-up periods to understand the relation between cognitive control and weight loss.