Resting-state brain dynamics are associated with body fat percentage and sympathetic outflow in healthy adults

Resting-state brain dynamics are associated with body fat percentage and sympathetic outflow in healthy adults | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Resting-state brain dynamics are associated with body fat percentage and sympathetic outflow in healthy adults Mariya Patel, Joe Braun, Charlotte Keatch, Will Woods, Tatiana Kameneva, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6788467/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Clinical Autonomic Research → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose: Increased adiposity is associated with the development of cardio-metabolic disturbances, with sympathetic dysregulation playing a crucial role in the early phase. Both adiposity and chronic sympathetic activation may impair cerebral function increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. How adiposity affects brain dynamics in the healthy state is not fully elucidated. Methods: We performed magnetoencephalography in 29 healthy participants (12 males and 17 females; aged 19–72, body fat percentage 7–45.3%) to record neural activity index as a measure of brain activity as well as functional connectivity using weighted phase lag index. Adiposity was assessed using body fat percentage and microneurography was used to assess muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Results: Individuals with higher fat percentage had higher muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Comparison of neural activity index between the groups showed significant differences in the left posterior cingulate cortex (delta and theta bands) and left precuneus (delta band). Significant differences in functional connectivity of the right superior frontal gyrus and left temporal pole (delta band) was also seen between groups. Neural activity index in the right caudate (theta and low-gamma bands) correlated positively with muscle sympathetic nerve activity while correlating negatively with body fat percentage. Conclusion: We have shown that resting-state brain activity and functional connectivity are different between healthy individuals with lower or higher body fat percentage. We have also shown that activity in key regions associated with adiposity also correlates with sympathetic outflow indicating the potential role of the sympathetic nervous system in driving adiposity-associated cardiometabolic complications. adiposity body fat percentage functional neuroimaging magnetoencephalography muscle sympathetic nerve activity Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Clinical Autonomic Research → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 03 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 30 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6788467","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":471824533,"identity":"aebfe3f9-f648-471a-8b51-071e547e1b4b","order_by":0,"name":"Mariya Patel","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAxCKufEBA4MEiGVAnBYeBsZmA6K1MEC1tElA2fi16LaffXiYp+aOvD17Y1vlzzaLPAb25m0SDDWHcWoxO5NucJjn2DPDHp6Dbbd52ySKGXiOlUkwHMOj5UAaw2EetsOMPRKJbbcZt0kkNkjkmEkwsOHRcv4ZUMu/w/Y98g/bCn+CtMi/AWr5h0fLDaAtvG2HE3skGNsYeMG28JgB2fi0PGM4OLfvWXLPmcRmad5/QOfxpBVbJPal43FYGvOHN9/u2La3Hz748ceZusR+9sMbb3z4Zo1TCwgw8cASAAiwgYgEvBoYGBh/IGsZBaNgFIyCUYAOAGTYWOJlGm9xAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7999-429X","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Health Arts and Design","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mariya","middleName":"","lastName":"Patel","suffix":""},{"id":471824534,"identity":"db71d42a-b418-4819-a62c-12c298e5ee53","order_by":1,"name":"Joe Braun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Health Arts and Design","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Joe","middleName":"","lastName":"Braun","suffix":""},{"id":471824535,"identity":"27578dd8-3509-4126-90e7-05d25c238386","order_by":2,"name":"Charlotte Keatch","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Health Arts and Design","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Charlotte","middleName":"","lastName":"Keatch","suffix":""},{"id":471824536,"identity":"38b35f62-66d0-4e1e-b748-aa9ee7dc9133","order_by":3,"name":"Will Woods","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology - 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Both adiposity and chronic sympathetic activation may impair cerebral function increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. How adiposity affects brain dynamics in the healthy state is not fully elucidated.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods: \u003c/strong\u003eWe performed magnetoencephalography in 29 healthy participants (12 males and 17 females; aged 19–72, body fat percentage 7–45.3%) to record neural activity index as a measure of brain activity as well as functional connectivity using weighted phase lag index. Adiposity was assessed using body fat percentage and microneurography was used to assess muscle sympathetic nerve activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults: \u003c/strong\u003eIndividuals with higher fat percentage had higher muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Comparison of neural activity index between the groups showed significant differences in the left posterior cingulate cortex (delta and theta bands) and left precuneus (delta band). Significant differences in functional connectivity of the right superior frontal gyrus and left temporal pole (delta band) was also seen between groups. Neural activity index in the right caudate (theta and low-gamma bands) correlated positively with muscle sympathetic nerve activity while correlating negatively with body fat percentage.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion: \u003c/strong\u003eWe have shown that resting-state brain activity and functional connectivity are different between healthy individuals with lower or higher body fat percentage. We have also shown that activity in key regions associated with adiposity also correlates with sympathetic outflow indicating the potential role of the sympathetic nervous system in driving adiposity-associated cardiometabolic complications.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Resting-state brain dynamics are associated with body fat percentage and sympathetic outflow in healthy adults","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-18 05:22:07","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6788467/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-06-26T04:50:29+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-06-16T08:37:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-06-03T08:33:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Clinical Autonomic Research","date":"2025-05-30T23:51:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"clinical-autonomic-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"autr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Clinical Autonomic Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/10286)","snPcode":"10286","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/autr/default2.aspx","title":"Clinical Autonomic Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"83876142-e97a-4184-8737-8f9247e4dcda","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-24T16:04:59+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6788467","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-025-01173-1","journal":{"identity":"clinical-autonomic-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Clinical Autonomic Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-17 15:59:08","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 17th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-18 05:22:07","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s10286-025-01173-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-025-01173-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6788467","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6788467","identity":"rs-6788467","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}