Brain Pulsations Linked to High BMI

According to a new study from the University of Oulu in Finland, alterations in the physiological brain pulsations are linked to a high body mass index (BMI). These pulsations are essential for preserving the flow of cerebral fluid and removing metabolic waste from the brain.

Three forms of pulsations are seen in the brain: vasomotion, which is connected to rhythmic blood vessel oscillations, respiratory, which is driven by the heartbeat, and cardiac, which is linked to breathing cycles.

The Oulu Functional Neuroimaging (OFNI) research group at the University of Oulu revealed that a high BMI specifically enhances respiration-related brain pulsations. This work was published in the International Journal of Obesity. Simultaneously, arterial vasomotor waves slightly rise while pituitary gland and hypothalamus artery-induced pulsations diminish.

According to the research, obesity may interfere with essential metabolic functions and brain homeostasis.

The study examined the resting brain activity of 115 healthy adults using ultrafast MREG imaging. The results were more reliable because other variables known to link with BMI, such as age, gender, and blood pressure, were also considered. The findings show that a high BMI substantially affects cerebral pulsations in all areas of the brain.

Scholars stress that more attention needs to be paid to how obesity affects the brain in both scientific and therapeutic settings.

“Overweight is a risk factor for many brain and cardiovascular diseases. These research findings help us understand how overweight affects brain function and the associated neurological risks.

“These observations may also help develop new diagnostic tools and treatment methods for conditions such as memory disorders, which are often associated with overweight,” says Doctoral Researcher Lauri Raitamaa.

For more information: Association of body-mass index with physiological brain pulsations across adulthood – a fast fMRI study, International Journal of Obesity, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01515-5