BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity may lead to neuronal impairment in both the peripheral and the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the impact of obesity and insulin resistance (IR) on the central nervous system and neurocognitive functions in children.

METHODS

Seventy-three obese children (38 male and 35 female) and 42 healthy children (21 male and 21 female) were recruited. Standard biochemical indices and IR were evaluated. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and electroencephalography (EEG) were administered to all participants. The obese participants were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of IR, and the data were compared between the subgroups.

RESULTS

Only verbal scores on the WISC-R in the IR+ group were significantly lower than those of the control and IR- groups. There were no differences between the groups with respect to other parameters of the WISC-R or the EEG. Verbal scores of the WISC-R were negatively correlated with obesity duration and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values. EEGs showed significantly more frequent 'slowing during hyperventilation' (SDHs) in obese children than non-obese children.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurocognitive functions, particularly verbal abilities, were impaired in obese children with IR. An early examination of cognitive functions may help identify and correct such abnormalities in obese children.