The increased body mass index effect on declarative memory

Abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that being overweight or obese not only impacts the cardiovascular and respiratory systems but also exert a negative effect on the central nervous system. We examined the relationship between body mass index and cognitive performance in three groups of volunteers: obese (17 women; aged 59.88 ± 4.29; BMI 34.08 ± 2.31), overweight (35 women; aged 59.70 ± 4.68; BMI 27.87± 1.44), and normal body weight group (18 women; aged 64.5 ±4.84; BMI 23.53 ± 1.21). To evaluate the cognitive performance in our subjects we used face/name association test. Our data demonstrate that the increased body mass weight may have a negative effect on some cognitive function such as declarative memory.