• Inflammation and Oxidative Stress May Act as Mediators for Aversive Effects of Obesity on the Brain
  • Mahnaz Ghowsi,1,* Farshad Qalehkhani,2 Fariba Mahmudi,3 Namdar Yousofvand,4
    1. Department of Biology, Faculty of sciences, Razi University
    2. Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Medical Sciences
    3. Department of Biology, Faculty of sciences, Mohaghegh Ardabili University
    4. Department of Biology, Faculty of sciences, Razi University


  • Introduction: Obesity is a prevalent disorder that affects public health in children, adolescents, and adults throughout the world. Understanding the effects of obesity on the brain has special importance because recently, some evidence has shown that there is a negative association between anthropometric measures of obesity, such as body weight and body mass index and cognitive performance and executive function. This research aims to investigate the potential contribution of inflammation and oxidative stress in the development of impairments in the brain functions during obesity. Different evidences show that there is an association between these complications that commonly are associated with obesity and the development of brain damage.
  • Methods: We searched the electronic literature for the English-language articles that were identified by a series of Google scholar, PubMed, the web of sciences, and Scopus searches using keywords such as obesity, brain, adipose tissue, inflammation, oxidative stress.
  • Results: A systemic low-grade inflammation condition and oxidative stress are seen during obesity and the neuroinflammation derived from obesity is seen in the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum.
  • Conclusion: During obesity oxidative stress and inflammation can cause brain damage and neurodegeneration in the brain and impairment of cognitive function.
  • Keywords: Obesity, Brain damage, Oxidative stress, Inflammation.