Visual, Verbal and Everyday Memory 2 Years After Bariatric Surgery: Poorer Memory Performance at 1-Year Follow-Up.

Gro Walø-Syversen,Jon Kristinsson,Øyvind Rø,Cathrine Brunborg,Camilla Lindvall Dahlgren,Ingela L Kvalem,Inger L Eribe

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.607834

Gro Walø-Syversen, Jon Kristinsson + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.607834

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Abstract

Severe obesity has been associated with reduced performance on tests of verbal memory in bariatric surgery candidates. There is also some evidence that bariatric surgery leads to improved verbal memory, yet these findings need further elucidation. Little is known regarding postoperative memory changes in the visual domain and how patients subjectively experience their everyday memory after surgery. The aim of the current study was to repeat and extend prior findings on postoperative memory by investigating visual, verbal, and self-reported everyday memory following surgery, and to examine whether weight loss and somatic comorbidity predict memory performance. The study was a prospective, observational study in which participants (n = 48) underwent cognitive testing at baseline, 1 and 2 years after bariatric surgery. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed significantly poorer visual and verbal memory performance at the 1-year follow-up, with performance subsequently returning to baseline levels after 2 years. Verbal learning and self-reported everyday memory did not show significant postoperative changes. Memory performance at 1 year was not significantly predicted by weight loss, changes in C-reactive protein levels or postoperative somatic comorbidity (Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and hypertension). The study demonstrated poorer visual and verbal memory performance at 1-year follow-up that returned to baseline levels after 2 years. These findings are in contrast to most previous studies and require further replication, however, the results indicate that postoperative memory improvements following bariatric surgery are not universal. Findings suggest that treatment providers should also be aware of patients potentially having poorer memory at 1 year following surgery.

Highlights

Over the past decade, increasing evidence suggests that severe obesity has adverse effects on cognitive functioning, including episodic memory (Nguyen et al, 2014; Prickett et al, 2015; Spitznagel et al, 2015; Dye et al, 2017; Loprinzi and Frith, 2018; Farruggia and Small, 2019)
In addition to investigating postoperative memory, we examined whether weight loss and postoperative comorbidity predicted memory performance after surgery
Our study examined whether absolute weight loss, change in CRP-level, or the presence of comorbid disease at 1-year follow-up predicted change in postoperative memory performance

Summary

Introduction

Over the past decade, increasing evidence suggests that severe obesity has adverse effects on cognitive functioning, including episodic memory (Nguyen et al, 2014; Prickett et al, 2015; Spitznagel et al, 2015; Dye et al, 2017; Loprinzi and Frith, 2018; Farruggia and Small, 2019). As outlined in a recent review (Higgs and Spetter, 2018), experimental meal memory paradigms have shown that manipulating memory for a recent meal affect later food intake (Higgs et al, 2008). Both clinical data (e.g., overeating in amnesic patients) (Rozin et al, 1998) and nonclinical studies (Attuquayefio et al, 2016; Martin et al, 2018) point to the role of general memory in appetite dysregulation, uncontrolled eating and weight gain. These findings have clinical implications for bariatric surgery patients, as memory difficulties may lead to challenges in adhering to specific pre- and postoperative dietary advice and more general health regimens

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