The overall brain functional connection of morbid obese participants did not change significantly when the rapid decline of body weight after bariatric surgery

Background It is reported that the micro-functional connections of obese patients are abnormal and vary greatly after bariatric surgery. However the effect and change of the overall brain functional connection remain uncertain. Materials and Methods This study included 38 participants who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy (SG). The study aimed to analyze changes of body weight (BW), laboratory tests, and resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of the whole brain conducted before surgery and 6 months after bariatric surgery. Results Following a rapid weight loss within 6 months of surgery, there was a concurrent decrease in BW, adipose tissue, some clinical and laboratory indicators. The recovery of metabolic fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is accompanied by a recovery in liver function and a rapid decrease in liver fat, followed by a decrease in visceral fat. But the average rs-FC between 6 major networks and 400 brain regions has not changed 6 months after bariatric surgery. Conclusion The clinical and laboratory indicators of morbid obese patients have improved significantly after bariatric surgery, but the overall rs-FC has not changed significantly, which shows that the overall rs-FC will remain stable and coordinated.