Affiliations: [a] Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA | [b] Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Kelly Stanek Sellbom, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Box 870348, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0348, USA. Tel.: +1 205 348 6362; Fax: +1 205 348 8648; E-mail: kmstanek@as.ua.edu.
Abstract: Obesity is a significant contemporary health concern that carries wide-ranging implications for society, as well as for individual health and well-being. In particular, the neuropsychological sequelae of obesity carry wide ranging functional implications. While research in this area is growing, our knowledge of obesity-related cognitive dysfunction and brain alterations has not yet been synthesized. The present review integrates the recent literature regarding patterns of obesity-related cognitive dysfunction and brain alterations and also indicates potential mechanisms for these neuropathological changes. The review culminates in a preliminary model of obesity-related cognitive dysfunction and suggestions for future research, including the potential reversibility of these changes with weight-loss.
