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Bariatric Surgery Patients Exhibit Improved Memory Function 12 Months Postoperatively

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Abstract

Background

Previous work from our group demonstrated improved memory function in bariatric surgery patients at 12 weeks postoperatively relative to controls. However, no study has examined longer-term changes in cognitive functioning following bariatric surgery.

Methods

A total of 137 individuals (95 bariatric surgery patients and 42 obese controls) were followed prospectively to determine whether postsurgery cognitive improvements persist. Potential mechanisms of change were also examined. Bariatric surgery participants completed self-report measurements and a computerized cognitive test battery prior to surgery and at 12-week and 12-month follow-up; obese controls completed measures at equivalent time points.

Results

Bariatric surgery patients exhibited cognitive deficits relative to well-established standardized normative data prior to surgery, and obese controls demonstrated similar deficits. Analyses of longitudinal change indicated an interactive effect on memory indices, with bariatric surgery patients demonstrating better performance postoperatively than obese controls.

Conclusions

While memory performance was improved 12 months postbariatric surgery, the mechanisms underlying these improvements were unclear and did not appear attributable to obvious postsurgical changes, such as reductions in body mass index or comorbid medical conditions. Future studies employing neuroimaging, metabolic biomarkers, and more precise physiological measurements are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying memory improvements following bariatric surgery.

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Disclosures

No author has a conflict of interest for this work

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Lindsay A. Miller, Rachel Galioto & John Gunstad

  2. Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA

    Ross D. Crosby & James E. Mitchell

  3. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Gladys Strain

  4. Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Michael J. Devlin

  5. Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Rena Wing & Ronald A. Cohen

  6. University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Robert H. Paul

  7. Summa Health System, Akron, OH, USA

    John Gunstad

Authors
  1. Lindsay A. Miller
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  2. Ross D. Crosby
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  3. Rachel Galioto
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  4. Gladys Strain
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  5. Michael J. Devlin
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  6. Rena Wing
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  7. Ronald A. Cohen
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  8. Robert H. Paul
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  9. James E. Mitchell
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  10. John Gunstad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Gunstad.

Additional information

Data collection supported by DK075119. Manuscript supported in part by HL089311.

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Miller, L.A., Crosby, R.D., Galioto, R. et al. Bariatric Surgery Patients Exhibit Improved Memory Function 12 Months Postoperatively. OBES SURG 23, 1527–1535 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-013-0970-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-013-0970-7

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