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Reduced motor competence in children with obesity is associated with structural differences in the cerebellar peduncles

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Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that neurological factors partly explain the reduced motor competence found in many children with obesity. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare motor competence and white matter organization of important pathways for motor control (cerebellar peduncles) in children with and without obesity. Nineteen children with obesity and 25 children with a healthy weight, aged 7–11 years old, were included. Anthropometric measurements were taken and the level of motor competence was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (2nd Edition). Children’s brain was scanned using diffusion weighted imaging preceded by a standard anatomical scan. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were extracted from the cerebellar peduncles. Obese children’s level of motor competence was significantly lower than that in healthy weight peers (p < 0.05). Additionally, significant group differences (p < 0.05) were found for values of fractional anisotropy, but not for mean diffusivity. Further analyses revealed that lower values of fractional anisotropy in the inferior (p = 0.040) and superior (p = 0.007) cerebellar peduncles were present in children with obesity compared to children with a healthy weight. After controlling for multiple comparisons (p < 0.0167), only significant differences in the superior cerebellar peduncle remained significant. Our results showed that childhood obesity is accompanied by reduced motor competence and alterations in white matter organization. This suggests that the motor difficulties of children with obesity are not solely due to carrying excess weight, which may have implications for prevention and intervention programs.

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Notes

  1. FA is a measure that captures the directionality of water diffusion along WM tracts and, hence, it is regarded as a proxy marker of WM microstructural organization.

  2. MD refers to the magnitude of water diffusion along WM tracts. Lower values are considered to indicate more restricted water diffusion, which would be due to better myelination.

  3. In Flanders, special schools are schools for children with special needs due to behavioral or developmental difficulties (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation).

Abbreviations

OB:

Obesity

HW:

Healthy weight

FA:

Fractional anisotropy

MD:

Mean diffusivity

SCP:

Superior cerebellar peduncle

ICP:

Inferior cerebellar peduncle

MCP:

Middle cerebellar peduncle

WM:

White matter

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

BMI:

Body mass index

MABC-2:

Movement assessment battery for children, second edition

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Ph.D. fellowship of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) awarded to Mireille Augustijn [3F000714]. The authors are very grateful to all participants and their parents, the staff from the rehabilitation centre “Zeepreventorium” (De Haan, Belgium) and the board of the participating schools. Finally, the authors would like to thank Kris Bakeland, Nele Bassier, Marieke Paredis, Hanne Lyskawa, Teresa Gobert and Helena Verhelst for their assistance in collecting the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Mireille J. C. M. Augustijn, Frederik J. A. Deconinck, Eva D’Hondt & Matthieu Lenoir

  2. Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Brussel, Belgium

    Mireille J. C. M. Augustijn

  3. Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussel, Belgium

    Eva D’Hondt

  4. Zeepreventorium VZW, Koninklijke Baan 5, 8420, De Haan, Belgium

    Lore Van Acker & Ann De Guchtenaere

  5. School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, 115 Victoria Pde, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia

    Karen Caeyenberghs

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  1. Mireille J. C. M. Augustijn
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  2. Frederik J. A. Deconinck
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  3. Eva D’Hondt
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  6. Matthieu Lenoir
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Contributions

Conception and design of the experiment: MJCM Augustijn, FJA Deconinck, E D’Hondt, M. Lenoir, K. Caeyenberghs

Collection, processing of the data: MJCM Augustijn, L Van Acker.

Interpretation of the results: MJCM Augustijn, FJA Deconinck, E D’Hondt, M Lenoir, K Caeyenberghs

Drafting of the manuscript and critical revision: MJCM Augustijn, FJA Deconinck, E D’Hondt, M Lenoir, K Caeyenberghs, A De Guchtenaere.

All authors had final approval of the submitted and published version.

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Correspondence to Mireille J. C. M. Augustijn.

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Augustijn, M.J.C.M., Deconinck, F.J.A., D’Hondt, E. et al. Reduced motor competence in children with obesity is associated with structural differences in the cerebellar peduncles. Brain Imaging and Behavior 12, 1000–1010 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-017-9760-5

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