Cognitive control in severe obese individuals: an ERPs study
2017
Severe obesity has been associated with executive dysfunctions such as
poor cognitive control during interference tasks. A source of behavioral
studies showed lower cognitive control in obese compared to normal-weight
when food-related stimuli are present, suggesting enhanced attention toward
food (i.e. food-related attentional bias), which may reduce the efficiency
of cognitive control. Here, cognitive control of interference in presence
of food-related stimuli was assessed by means of event-related potentials
(ERPs) and behavioral measures of cognitive control in severe obese individuals.
Twenty-four obese and 28 normal-weight were evaluated in fasting
state. Cognitive control in presence of food-related stimuli was investigated
with a version of the Simon task modified with task-irrelevant food, object
and neutral distractors. ERPs and reaction times (RTs) were registered in spatial corresponding (C) and non-corresponding (NC) conditions for each
distractor. Larger Simon effect in presence of food-related distractors was
found in the obese group. The N2 amplitude was higher in C compared
to NC trials only in normal weight, whereas this effect was not present in
the obese group. Longer P3 latency was found in obese compared to normal-
weight. Attentional bias toward food interferes with cognitive control
in severe obese individuals, supporting previous evidences for a food-related
motor impulsivity. For the ERPs, the finding of higher N2 amplitude in
conflict trials (NC) in normal-weight, but not in the obese group, suggests
impaired conflict detection in the latter. Longer P3 latency observed in the
obese may reflect a slowing down in information processing speed.
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