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Abstract #0276

Gender Differences in the Dependence of Body Weight and Brain Connectivity Revealed by Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Karsten Mueller1, Alfred Anwander1, Annette Horstmann1, Franziska Busse2, Burkhard Pleger1, Joeran Lepsien1, Michael Stumvoll2, Arno Villringer1, Harald E. Mller1

1Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; 2Department of Medicine, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany


We revealed gender differences in the dependence between body weight and brain structure using diffusion tensor imaging. For the female volunteers, we observed a significant negative correlation between the body mass index (BMI) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in all parts of the corpus callosum. This correlation could not be found for male subjects. A negative correlation between BMI and axial diffusivity was significant for both women and men. An additional effect was found for the female participants only: A positive correlation between BMI and radial diffusivity. The underlying physiological reasons are still unclear and need to be further investigated.