Research Paper Volume 11, Issue 19 pp 8573—8586

Figure 3. Results of the data-driven metabolic connectivity analysis in females. Figure shows results of the data-driven metabolic connectivity analysis, seeding from the BMI-related orbitofrontal cluster identified through whole-brain correlation analysis (see Figure 1 and text). The pattern of connectivity of the orbitofrontal cluster in females with normal BMI (upper panel) remarkably differs from the one observed in females with high BMI (lower panel) (A). In females with high BMI, loss of connectivity is evident between orbitofrontal cortex and high-order cortical regions, notably the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (red arrows). Interconnections with reward-related brain circuits are also present (lacking in females with normal BMI), specifically involving the medial orbitofrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (red arrows). Threshold for statistical significance was set at p<0.001 (uncorrected for multiple comparisons), minimum cluster extent k:100 voxels. Only clusters surviving SPM cluster-level FWE-correction (p<0.05) are shown Significant differences in connectivity strength between females with high BMI and females with normal BMI are also shown (p<0.01, uncorrected for multiple comparisons; p<0.05 at cluster-level; Ke: 100 voxels) (B). A high-resolution MRI anatomical template in MRIcron was used for rendering.