Childhood Body Composition and Brain Structure and Function

Childhood Body Composition and Brain Structure and Function

The specific aim of this research project is to use MRI methods to evaluate and compare brain structure and function in normal weight and obese children age 8-10 years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy normal weight or obese children
• Parental report of full-term gestation
• Parental report of birth weight between 5th-95th percentiles
• Parental report of breastfeeding or cow's milk formula fed during infancy
• Right hand dominance

Exclusion Criteria:

• Maternal diabetes
• Maternal alcohol, tobacco or drug use during pregnancy
• Chronic sleep disorder
• History of psychological or psychiatric diagnosis
• History of neurological impairment or injury
• Surgical implant or other foreign object in the body which may be a MRI safety concern
• Dental work which may cause artifacts in MRI
• Claustrophobia
• High likelihood of inability to tolerate loud noise from the MRI scanner