Changes in Cognition Functions and Depression Severity After Bariatric Surgery: A 3-Month Follow-up Study

Changes in cognitive profile, such as memory and other functions in patients with morbid obesity after bariatric surgery have been reported in the literature with inconsistent results.

This study aimed to evaluate cognitive changes, executive function and depression severity before and after bariatric surgery in patients with morbid obesity.

In this prospective cohort study, 70 patients with morbid obesity (40 patients undergoing bariatric surgery and 30 patients in the waiting list) referred to the Rasool Akram Medical Complex, obesity clinic, Tehran, Iran, in 2016 entered the study. The two groups were assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) (consists of 7 subscales and assesses memory), the Wisconsin Cart Sorting test (WCST) (includes 64 cards and assesses cognitive skills), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) (for measuring depression) and bariatric analysis and reporting outcome system (BAROS) questionnaire (scale to report of the therapeutic results of bariatric surgery and including the three criteria of the weight loss percentage, the change in health state, and the quality of life) at the beginning of the study and three months after the surgery. Moreover, the Bariatric Analysis and reporting outcome system (BAROS) questionnaire was filled three months after surgery.

The average changes in WMS score (P = 0.043), working memory (P = 0.002), HAM-A (P = 0.032), weight, and BMI (P = 0.0001) in the surgery group were significantly higher than the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between change in the number of preservative errors in WCST within the surgery group with BAROS score (P = 0.004). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between changes in the score of WMS and those in BMI in the surgery group.

Bariatric surgery is associated with improvements in some cognitive functions and worsening of depressive scores in patients with morbid obesity.