Adipose Tissue and Central Nervous System Crosstalk: Roles in Pain and Cognitive Dysfunction.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic and clinical concepts without systematic methodology.
PubMed 41595589 · doi:10.3390/biomedicines14010054
What was done
This review synthesized current literature on the adipose-central nervous system (CNS) axis to propose a "neuro-metabo-inflammatory" framework linking obesity-related metabolic dysfunction to chronic pain and cognitive impairment. The authors evaluated clinical and mechanistic evidence regarding adipokines, lipids, and extracellular vesicles, including sexually dimorphic pathways.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings. It presents a conceptual model wherein dysfunctional adipose tissue releases factors that trigger neuroinflammation, compromise the blood-brain barrier, and impair synaptic plasticity, driving pain sensitization and cognitive decline.
Why it matters
It integrates metabolic and neurological pathways into a unified conceptual framework, highlighting mechanistic targets for obesity-associated pain and neurocognitive dysfunction.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no original empirical data and does not employ systematic review or meta-analytic methods. No sample sizes, effect sizes, or study selection criteria are reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Abdominal fat cells produce inflammatory adipocytokines that cross into or affect the brain.