Perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and its structural covariance as predictors for future body fat gain in young adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine whether baseline gray matter (GM) volume and structural covariance patterns could predict body fat gain over 1 to 2 years in a relatively large sample. METHODS: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was applied to examine the association between baseline GM volume and body fat gain in 502 participants over 1 to 2 years. Furthermore, this study tested whether the structural covariances between the regions identified as seeds from VBM analysis and the rest of the brain were associated with future body fat gain. RESULTS: A significant positive association was observed between baseline GM volume in the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) and body fat gain over 1 to 2 years. Furthermore, relative to those with lower future body fat gain, pgACC covaried more extensively with the middle frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and cerebellum in participants with higher future body fat gain. CONCLUSIONS: Using VBM and structural covariance network analysis, the current study revealed that higher GM volume of pgACC and its increased structural covariances with specific brain regions were associated with future weight gain, which may guide the development of more effective prevention and treatment interventions for obesity.