Comparative analysis of visual evoked potentials in obese and non-obese individuals: A cross-sectional study

Background: Obesity has been associated with alterations in central nervous system (CNS) function, including impaired sensory processing. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs), which reflect cortical processing of visual stimuli, may provide insight into obesity-related changes in the visual system. This study aimed to compare VEP characteristics between obese and non-obese individuals.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 40 obese individuals (body mass index (BMI >25) and 40 age and gender matched non-obese controls (BMI <25). VEPs were recorded using a standard visual stimulation protocol, and latency and amplitude of the P100 wave were analyzed.
Results: Obese individuals demonstrated significantly increased P100 latency (108.2 ± 7.3ms) compared to non-obese individuals (93.5± 6.8 ms, p<0.01). Furthermore, there were no significant difference in P100 amplitude between the two groups (obese 7.5 ± 1.5 µV; non-obese 8.0 ± 1.9 µV, p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that obesity is associated with delayed cortical visual processing, as reflected by increased latency in VEPs. These changes may indicate underlying alterations in the visual pathways and warrant further investigation into the impact of obesity on CNS function.