The effects of bariatric surgery on cognition in patients with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cognitive functioning in adolescents with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery or intensive non-surgical treatment in Sweden (AMOS2): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

“…A systematic review and meta-analysis, published in 2022, including data predominantly from adult bariatric surgery patients, concluded that bariatric surgery significantly improves immediate verbal memory function and delayed memory function, but that these improvements might be limited to patients undergoing RYGB. 8 In the present study the majority of the adolescents underwent RYGB (21/23; 91%), yet we found no differences in immediate or delayed verbal recall over two years between the groups.…”

“…Previous prospective studies reporting improvements in cognitive functioning after bariatric surgery usually follow patients before and after surgery without a relevant control group. 7 , 8 , 20 , 21 , 22 However, studies that have included a non-operated comparator group appear to show no, or few, significant differences between the groups. 8 , 11 , 23 , 24 The latter observation is in line with our findings in this study where, although we demonstrated improvements at follow-up in the surgical group in several cognitive tests, similar improvements were also observed in the non-surgical group, resulting in few significant differences between the groups.…”

“…Prospective studies in adults have suggested improvements in several cognitive domains, sustained at least until three years after bariatric surgery. 7 , 8 Thus, it has been hypothesised that cognitive deficits associated with obesity could have a degree of reversibility in response to weight loss. 9 However, it has been suggested that only immediate verbal memory and delayed memory show significantly greater improvement among patients undergoing bariatric surgery when including non-operated comparators.…”

“… 9 However, it has been suggested that only immediate verbal memory and delayed memory show significantly greater improvement among patients undergoing bariatric surgery when including non-operated comparators. 8 …”

Obesity-Induced Brain Neuroinflammatory and Mitochondrial Changes

“…Moreover, a stable BMI predicts better cognitive trajectories [ 54 ]. Patients with severe obesity may obtain immediate verbal and delayed memory function benefits from Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [ 55 , 56 ].…”