The association of pineal gland volume and body mass in obese and normal weight individuals: a pilot study.
Year: 2016
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In obese individuals impaired sleep and neuroendocrine alterations such as melatonin deficits are associated with circadian rhythm disruption, altered circadian clock gene expression, and bright light at night. While the relation of pineal gland volume (PGV) and melatonin levels has recently been documented in humans, surprisingly little is known about the possible interference of the PGV and the pathophysiology of obesity in humans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We therefore compared the PGV of obese with non-obese individuals; both groups were matched by age and gender. Volumetric analyses were performed on the basis of 3 Tesla high resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). RESULTS: =-0.051). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the current pilot investigation suggests that pineal gland function, reflected by PGV might be involved in the energy homeostasis and pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to the development and the maintenance of obesity in humans. Moreover, our data supports the notion that the replacement of melatonin deficits might be a novel strategy in the treatment of obesity.
Source: PubMed
Authors: Martin Grosshans, Christian Vollmert, Sabine Vollstaedt-Klein, Ingo Nolte, Emanuel Schwarz, Xenija Wagner, Markus Leweke, Jochen Mutschler, Falk Kiefer, Jan Malte Bumb
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2532307051