Genetic Influences Between Cognitive Function and BMI

Completed

• Conditions: Obesity

• Registration Number: NCT03116334
• Lead Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine

Brief Summary

In this study the investigators will interrogate an existing data set to examine whether genetic variants contribute to an inverse association between weight status and cognitive function. Investigators hypothesize that body mass index (BMI) will be inversely related to a number of variables measuring cognitive function, and that that this inverse relation will be at least partially attributable to genetic variants which influence both BMI and cognition.

Detailed Description

Investigators will use existing data collected as part of the Texas Twin Project (TTP). TTP collected neuropsychological task data on cognition (executive functioning and general cognitive abilities) from a computerized test battery, as well as BMI data, on a sample of 869 twins. Investigators will use information from the known extent of genetic and environmental sharing between members of MZ (monozygotic; identical) and DZ (dizygotic; fraternal) twin pairs to quantify the genetic correlation between measures of cognition and BMI using biometric genetic modeling under the assumptions of the classical twin model. The specific aims are:

* To examine the association between BMI and executive functioning (EF) in a sample of 869 twin children, ages 7 to 15 years old, who participated in the Texas Twin Project (TTP)

* To gauge the specificity of EF-BMI relations relative to academic achievement and general cognitive abilities.

* To examine the relative contribution of genetic and environment influences to the inverse association between BMI and EF

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-09
• Primary Completion: 2016-12
• Study Completion: 2016-12
• Status Verified: 2017-04
• Study First Submitted: 2017-04-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-04-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-04-14
• Study First Posted: 2017-04-17
• Last Update Posted: 2017-04-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 869

Inclusion Criteria

All participants in the TTP database with executive functioning and BMI data, without a parent-reported medical disorder affecting growth

Exclusion Criteria

Parent-reported medical disorder affecting growth More than one sibling in the dataset (if triplets are present, only two randomly selecting siblings will be included).

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Executive functioning	2 hours	This measure will be derived from a computerized test battery incorporating the Animal Stroop, Stop Signal, Mickey (an anti- Trail Making, Local-Global, Plus-Minus, Digit Span Backward, Symmetry Span, Listening Recall, 2-Back, Keeping Track, and Running Memory for Letters tasks. A latent factor of variance common to all these tasks will be used to indicate "higher order executive functioning".
Body mass index	10 minutes	Heights and weights were measured by trained study personnel and BMI will be calculated as weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in centimeters (cm) squared.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
General Cognitive Ability	1 hour	This was assessed using the WASI-II
Academic Achievement	30 minutes	This was assessed using the Woodcock-Johnson-III Calculations and Passage Comprehension tests

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Children's Nutrition Research Center; 🇺🇸 Houston, Texas, United States