Relationship between 25-OH-D3 levels and cognitive functions in children with obesity

Year 2024, Volume: 7 Issue: 5, 524 - 528, 27.09.2024

Samet Özer , Hasan Bozkurt , İlknur Bütün

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1524634

Abstract

Aims: The inconsistent results about neurocognitive functions in children with obesity may be suggestive of factors like vitamin deficiencies rather than the disorder itself. So we aimed to investigate the 25(OH)D3 levels and cognitive functions in obese children in the present study.
Methods: Seventy-two children were included to this study. Forty-one of them were obese children and 31 children were with normal weight. The patients were diagnosed as obese according to body mass index >95 percentile, considering the sex and age-specific growth curves for Turkish children. The participants completed the battery tests of the central nervous system vital signs (CNSVS), a neurocognitive test battery, via computer. The battery calculates seven domain scores (Memory, Psychomotor speed, Processing speed, Reaction time, Complex attention, Executive function, Cognitive flexibility) and a summary score (Neurocognition Index). 25(OH)D3 levels were measured in residual samples using a Shimadzu HPLC system with the aid of a 25(OH)D3 kit. The scores were compared by using commercial software (IBM SPSS Statistics 18).
Results: The mean 25-OH-vitamin D levels were 13.41±7.91 µg/L in obese children and 20.31±5.92µg/L in controls. Vitamin D3 levels were significantly lower in obese children than in control group (p<0.05). There was statistically significant difference between patient and healthy control group on all cognitive performance domains. Mean NCI score of obesity group was 86.17±8.85, whereas that of healthy participants was 90.61±8.28. The mean NCI score in the obesity group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Cognitive index of obese children is lower than normal weight children. Lower 25(OH)D3 levels are related to cognitive deficits in children with obesity. Cognitive dysfunction and 25(OH)D3 levels in obese children and adolescents should be addressed in the evaluation and treatment of this population.

Keywords

Child, obesity, 25-OH-vitamin D, cognitive dysfunction

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