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Mulligan EM, Eisenlohr-Moul TA, Nagpal A, Schmalenberger KM, Eckel L, Hajcak G. Characterizing within-person variance in, and menstrual cycle associations with, event-related potentials associated with positive and negative valence systems: The reward positivity and the error-related negativity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 170:107183. [PMID: 39303429 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Event-related potentials (ERPs) are widely employed as measures of transdiagnostic cognitive processes that are thought to underlie various clinical disorders (Hajcak et al., 2019). Despite their prevalent use as individual difference measures, the effects of within-person processes, such as the human menstrual cycle, on a broad range of ERPs are poorly understood. The present study leveraged a within-subject design to characterize between- and within-person variance in ERPs as well as effects of the menstrual cycle in two frequently studied ERPs associated with positive and negative valence systems underlying psychopathology-the Reward Positivity (RewP) and the Error- Related Negativity (ERN). Seventy-one naturally-cycling participants completed repeated EEG and ecological momentary assessments of positive and negative affect in the menstrual cycle's early follicular, periovulatory, and mid-luteal phases. We examined the mean degree of change between cycle phases in both ERPs, the between-person variability in the degree of change in both ERPs, and whether an individual's degree of cyclical change in these ERPs show coherence with their degree of cyclical change in positive and negative affect recorded across the cycle. Results revealed no significant changes in positive and negative affect across the cycle and rather small changes in ERP amplitudes. Significant random slopes in our model revealed larger individual differences in trajectories of change in ERP amplitudes and affect, in agreement with prior evidence of heterogeneity in dimensional hormone sensitivity. Additionally, state-variance in these ERPs correlated with positive and negative affect changes across the cycle, suggesting that cycle-mediated ERP changes may have relevance for affect and behavior. Finally, exploratory latent class growth mixture modeling revealed subgroups of individuals that display disparate patterns of change in ERPs that should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anisha Nagpal
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | | | - Lisa Eckel
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, USA
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, USA; School of Education and Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, USA
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Carbine KA, LeCheminant JD, Kelley TA, Kapila-Ramirez A, Hill K, Masterson T, Christensen E, Larson MJ. The impact of exercise on food-related inhibitory control- do calories, time of day, and BMI matter? Evidence from an event-related potential (ERP) study. Appetite 2024; 200:107514. [PMID: 38838592 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests exercise improves inhibitory control functions. We tested if exercise-related inhibitory control benefits extend to food-related inhibitory control and differ by calorie content, time of day, and weight status. One hundred thirty-eight individuals were pseudo-randomly assigned to a morning or evening group. Each subject participated in two lab sessions where they completed questionnaires (rest session) or walked on a treadmill at 3.8mph (exercise session) for 45 min. After each session, participants completed both a high-calorie and low-calorie go/no-go task while N2 and P3 event-related potentials (ERP), both neural indicators of inhibitory control, were measured. Participants also rated food images for valence and arousal. While N2 and P3 difference amplitudes were larger to high-calorie than low-calorie foods, neither exercise nor time of day affected results. Individuals had faster response times after exercise without decreases in accuracy. Arousal and valence for high-calorie foods were lower after exercise and lower for all foods after morning compared to evening exercise. In a subset of individuals with obesity and normal-weight individuals, individuals with obesity had larger N2 difference amplitudes after morning exercise, while normal-weight individuals had larger P3 difference amplitudes to high-calorie foods after exercise. Results suggest moderate exercise did not affect food-related inhibitory control generally, although morning exercise may be beneficial in improving early recruitment of food-related inhibitory control in individuals with obesity. Moderate exercise, particularly in the morning, may also help manage increased attention allocated to food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylie A Carbine
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, 90747, USA.
| | - James D LeCheminant
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, & Food Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Tracy A Kelley
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, 90747, USA
| | - Anita Kapila-Ramirez
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, 90747, USA
| | - Kyle Hill
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University, Kansas City, MO, 64106, USA
| | - Travis Masterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Edward Christensen
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, & Food Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Michael J Larson
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA; Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
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Küchenhoff S, Bayrak Ş, Zsido RG, Saberi A, Bernhardt BC, Weis S, Schaare HL, Sacher J, Eickhoff S, Valk SL. Relating sex-bias in human cortical and hippocampal microstructure to sex hormones. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7279. [PMID: 39179555 PMCID: PMC11344136 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51459-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Determining sex-bias in brain structure is of great societal interest to improve diagnostics and treatment of brain-related disorders. So far, studies on sex-bias in brain structure predominantly focus on macro-scale measures, and often ignore factors determining this bias. Here we study sex-bias in cortical and hippocampal microstructure in relation to sex hormones. Investigating quantitative intracortical profiling in-vivo using the T1w/T2w ratio in 1093 healthy females and males of the cross-sectional Human Connectome Project young adult sample, we find that regional cortical and hippocampal microstructure differs between males and females and that the effect size of this sex-bias varies depending on self-reported hormonal status in females. Microstructural sex-bias and expression of sex hormone genes, based on an independent post-mortem sample, are spatially coupled. Lastly, sex-bias is most pronounced in paralimbic areas, with low laminar complexity, which are predicted to be most plastic based on their cytoarchitectural properties. Albeit correlative, our study underscores the importance of incorporating sex hormone variables into the investigation of brain structure and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Küchenhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Şeyma Bayrak
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rachel G Zsido
- Cognitive Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amin Saberi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - H Lina Schaare
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Sacher
- Centre for Integrative Women's Health and Gender Medicine, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Oboza P, Ogarek N, Wójtowicz M, Rhaiem TB, Olszanecka-Glinianowicz M, Kocełak P. Relationships between Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Diet Composition, Dietary Patterns and Eating Behaviors. Nutrients 2024; 16:1911. [PMID: 38931266 PMCID: PMC11206370 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a disorder between gynecology and psychiatry which includes cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms from mild to severe. The most severe form of PMS is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and it is considered a form of depressive disorder. An association between diet composition and the occurrence of PMS and its severity have been suggested. As such, this manuscript discusses the relationships between diet composition, dietary patterns and eating behaviors, and PMS. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched for related studies up to 18 January 2024. A text search with the following keywords singly or in combination was conducted: "Premenstrual syndrome", "Nutrition", "Diet composition", "Dietary patterns", and "Eating behaviors". Studies published so far showed that low intake of simple carbohydrates, fats, salt, and alcohol, and high of fresh, unprocessed foods rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent the onset of PMS and reduce the severity of its symptoms. However, further studies are needed to formulate definitive recommendations for the use of vitamins, micronutrients and other dietary ingredients supplementation in women with PMS to improve functioning, overall well-being, and physical health. Large, randomized, double-blind clinical trials across diverse populations are necessary to formulate clear recommendations for supplementation in women with PMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Oboza
- Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Natalia Ogarek
- Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Mariusz Wójtowicz
- Clinical Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Tahar Ben Rhaiem
- Clinical Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, 45-052 Opole, Poland
| | - Magdalena Olszanecka-Glinianowicz
- Health Promotion and Obesity Management Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Piotr Kocełak
- Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
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Alabdulkader S, Al-Alsheikh AS, Miras AD, Goldstone AP. Obesity surgery and neural correlates of human eating behaviour: A systematic review of functional MRI studies. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103563. [PMID: 38237270 PMCID: PMC10828606 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Changes in eating behaviour including reductions in appetite and food intake, and healthier food cue reactivity, reward, hedonics and potentially also preference, contribute to weight loss and its health benefits after obesity surgery. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been increasingly used to interrogate the neural correlates of eating behaviour in obesity, including brain reward-cognitive systems, changes after obesity surgery, and links with alterations in the gut-hormone-brain axis. Neural responses to food cues can be measured by changes in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in brain regions involved in reward processing, including caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, insula, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and top-down inhibitory control, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). This systematic review aimed to examine: (i) results of human fMRI studies involving obesity surgery, (ii) important methodological differences in study design across studies, and (iii) correlations and associations of fMRI findings with clinical outcomes, other eating behaviour measures and mechanistic measures. Of 741 articles identified, 23 were eligible for inclusion: 16 (69.6%) longitudinal, two (8.7%) predictive, and five (21.7%) cross-sectional studies. Seventeen studies (77.3%) included patients having Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, six (26.1%) vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), and five (21.7%) laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). The majority of studies (86.0%) were identified as having a very low risk of bias, though only six (27.3%) were controlled interventional studies, with none including randomisation to surgical and control interventions. The remaining studies (14.0%) had a low risk of bias driven by their control groups not having an active treatment. After RYGB surgery, food cue reactivity often decreased or was unchanged in brain reward systems, and there were inconsistent findings as to whether reductions in food cue reactivity was greater for high-energy than low-energy foods. There was minimal evidence from studies of VSG and LAGB surgeries for changes in food cue reactivity in brain reward systems, though effects of VSG surgery on food cue reactivity in the dlPFC were more consistently found. There was consistent evidence for post-operative increases in satiety gut hormones glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) mediating reduced food cue reactivity after RYGB surgery, including two interventional studies. Methodological heterogeneity across studies, including nutritional state, nature of food cues, post-operative timing, lack of control groups for order effects and weight loss or dietary/psychological advice, and often small sample sizes, limited the conclusions that could be drawn, especially for correlational analyses with clinical outcomes, other eating behaviour measures and potential mediators. This systematic review provides a detailed data resource for those performing or analysing fMRI studies of obesity surgery and makes suggestions to help improve reporting and design of such studies, as well as future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahd Alabdulkader
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia; Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Alhanouf S Al-Alsheikh
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Alexander D Miras
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Ulster University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Life & Health Sciences, Londonderry, Northern Ireland BT48 7JL, UK.
| | - Anthony P Goldstone
- PsychoNeuroEndocrinology Research Group, Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.
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Galindo-Caballero ÓJ, Alzate-Pamplona FA, Gangestad SW, Cruz JE. A review and p-curve analysis of research on the menstrual cycle correlates of consumer preferences and economic decisions. Horm Behav 2023; 150:105317. [PMID: 36731300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A number of studies have been claimed to show that ovarian hormones, whose levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, affect consumer preferences and financial decisions. The present article aims to critically analyze the literature examining associations between the phases of the menstrual cycle (peri-ovulatory vs. non-ovulatory) with particular consumer preferences (especially regarding clothing choices) and economic decisions (especially in regards to economic games and risk-taking). A search for studies was conducted in Web of Science and Scopus between 2004 and 2022, by combining keywords of the menstrual cycle, consumer preferences, and economic decisions. Once articles were selected, we identified the main findings, the characteristics of the population, and the methods for determining the phases of the cycle. We performed a p-curve analysis on previously reported statistically significant effects. These analyses find evidence for associations between peri-ovulatory status and specific consumer preferences, most strongly for appearance-enhancing products. They yield no compelling evidence for associations between peri-ovulatory status and financial decisions and risk-taking. We offer provisional conclusions and call for additional studies that possess sufficient statistical power to detect true meaningful effects, especially in the domain of financial decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julio Eduardo Cruz
- Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on homeostatic and hedonic appetite control and mood states in women presenting premenstrual syndrome across menstrual cycle phases. Physiol Behav 2023; 261:114075. [PMID: 36627037 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the acute effect of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on appetite, energy intake, food preferences, and mood states in the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle in women presenting premenstrual syndrome. METHODS Sixteen women (26.5 ± 5.2 years; 1.63 ± 0.1 m; 64.2 ± 12.8 kg; body mass index 24.0 ± 5.0 kg/m2; body fat 27.6 ± 7.5%) with the eumenorrheic menstrual cycle were submitted to a-tDCS and sham-tDCS conditions over their follicular and luteal phases. At pre - and post-tDCS, hunger and desire to eat something tasty, (analogic visual scale), the profile of mood states (POMS), and the psychological components of food preferences (Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire-BR) were assessed. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day using a diary log. RESULTS There was a trend towards main effect of condition for decreased implicit wanting for low-fat savory food after a-tDCS but not sham-tDCS regardless of menstrual cycle phase (p = 0.062). There was no effect for self-reported hunger, desire to eat, energy and macronutrient intake, and on other components of food preferences (explicit liking and wanting for low- and high-fat savory and sweet foods, implicit wanting for low- and high-fat sweet and high-fat savory food); as well as for mood states. CONCLUSIONS Although no significant effects of a-tDCS were found, the present investigation provides relevant perspectives for future studies.
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Vigil P, Meléndez J, Petkovic G, Del Río JP. The importance of estradiol for body weight regulation in women. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:951186. [PMID: 36419765 PMCID: PMC9677105 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.951186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity in women of reproductive age has a number of adverse metabolic effects, including Type II Diabetes (T2D), dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. It is associated with increased menstrual irregularity, ovulatory dysfunction, development of insulin resistance and infertility. In women, estradiol is not only critical for reproductive function, but they also control food intake and energy expenditure. Food intake is known to change during the menstrual cycle in humans. This change in food intake is largely mediated by estradiol, which acts directly upon anorexigenic and orexigenic neurons, largely in the hypothalamus. Estradiol also acts indirectly with peripheral mediators such as glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Like estradiol, GLP-1 acts on receptors at the hypothalamus. This review describes the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms governing the actions of estradiol during the menstrual cycle on food intake and energy expenditure and how estradiol acts with other weight-controlling molecules such as GLP-1. GLP-1 analogs have proven to be effective both to manage obesity and T2D in women. This review also highlights the relationship between steroid hormones and women's mental health. It explains how a decline or imbalance in estradiol levels affects insulin sensitivity in the brain. This can cause cerebral insulin resistance, which contributes to the development of conditions such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. The proper use of both estradiol and GLP-1 analogs can help to manage obesity and preserve an optimal mental health in women by reducing the mechanisms that trigger neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Vigil
- Reproductive Health Research Institute (RHRI), Santiago, Chile
| | - Jaime Meléndez
- Reproductive Health Research Institute (RHRI), Santiago, Chile
| | - Grace Petkovic
- Arrowe Park Hospital, Department of Paediatrics, Wirral CH49 5PE, Merseyside, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Pablo Del Río
- Unidad de Psiquiatría Infantil y del Adolescente, Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Millennium Science Initiative, Santiago, Chile
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Pimpini L, Kochs S, Franssen S, van den Hurk J, Valente G, Roebroeck A, Jansen A, Roefs A. More complex than you might think: Neural representations of food reward value in obesity. Appetite 2022; 178:106164. [PMID: 35863505 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Obesity reached pandemic proportions and weight-loss treatments are mostly ineffective. The level of brain activity in the reward circuitry is proposed to be proportionate to the reward value of food stimuli, and stronger in people with obesity. However, empirical evidence is inconsistent. This may be due to the double-sided nature of high caloric palatable foods: at once highly palatable and high in calories (unhealthy). This study hypothesizes that, viewing high caloric palatable foods, a hedonic attentional focus compared to a health and a neutral attentional focus elicits more activity in reward-related brain regions, mostly in people with obesity. Moreover, caloric content and food palatability can be decoded from multivoxel patterns of activity most accurately in people with obesity and in the corresponding attentional focus. During one fMRI-session, attentional focus (hedonic, health, neutral) was manipulated using a one-back task with individually tailored food stimuli in 32 healthy-weight people and 29 people with obesity. Univariate analyses (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected) showed that brain activity was not different for palatable vs. unpalatable foods, nor for high vs. low caloric foods. Instead, this was higher in the hedonic compared to the health and neutral attentional focus. Multivariate analyses (MVPA) (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected) showed that palatability and caloric content could be decoded above chance level, independently of either BMI or attentional focus. Thus, brain activity to visual food stimuli is neither proportionate to the reward value (palatability and/or caloric content), nor significantly moderated by BMI. Instead, it depends on people's attentional focus, and may reflect motivational salience. Furthermore, food palatability and caloric content are represented as patterns of brain activity, independently of BMI and attentional focus. So, food reward value is reflected in patterns, not levels, of brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Pimpini
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Sarah Kochs
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sieske Franssen
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Job van den Hurk
- Scannexus, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Giancarlo Valente
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Alard Roebroeck
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Anita Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anne Roefs
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Lefebvre M, Hengartner MP, Tronci E, Mancini T, Ille F, Röblitz S, Krüger T, Leeners B. Food preferences throughout the menstrual cycle - A computer-assisted neuro-endocrino-psychological investigation. Physiol Behav 2022; 255:113943. [PMID: 35970225 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As eating behavior changes in relation to the menstrual cycle and weight changes with menopausal transition, ovarian hormones appear to be involved in regulating eating behavior. However, observations are contradictory and are difficult to compare, due to methodological problems related to nutritional epidemiology. To better understand the relationship between ovarian steroid hormones and eating behavior, our study evaluates women's responses to visual food cues at different points in the menstrual cycle with their specific serum estrogen/progesterone levels and women's responses in the case of strong estrogen changes in the context of fertility treatments. METHODS We collected data from 129 women, 44 of whom received in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital Zurich. A total of 85 women with natural cycles were recruited at the University Hospital Zurich (n = 37) and at the Hannover Medical School (n = 48). Our observational study used 4 different measurement time points across the natural cycle and 2 measurement time points in women with supraphysiological estradiol levels during fertility treatments. Using a second cycle, we then tested our results for replication. At these predefined time points, women were shown pictures of 11 categories of food, with 4 items for each category and blood samples for measurement of hormone levels were taken. Food preferences registered at the time of the investigation were indicated on a visual analogue scale (0-100). RESULTS We did not find any statistically significant association between women's serum hormone levels and the rating of visually presented food, either during the menstrual cycle or during fertility treatments after controlling for multiple testing (all p > 0.005). Ratings for fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates showed a significant linear decline throughout the first menstrual cycle (p < 0.01), which did not replicate in the second cycle (p > 0.05). In contrast, the ratings for sweets showed a significant linear decline in both cycles (both p < 0.01), with a mean rating of 54.2 and 48.8 in the menstrual phase of the first and second cycle, respectively, to a mean rating of 47.7 and 43.4 in the premenstrual phase of the first and second cycle, respectively. During fertility treatments, no food rating showed a significant change (all p > 0.05). Mood such as negative and positive affects did not influence ratings for visual food cues neither throughout the menstrual cycles nor during fertility treatment. CONCLUSIONS Serum levels of estradiol and progesterone do not correlate with food ratings in women, even when estradiol levels are above the physiological level of a natural menstrual cycle. Since, except for sweets, significant changes in food ratings in a first cycle did not replicate in a second menstrual cycle, significant findings from the literature based on animal or human studies focusing on a single-cycle have to be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Lefebvre
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University hospital Zürich, 8910 Zurich, Frauenklinikstr. 10, Switzerland
| | - Michael P Hengartner
- Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University for Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Enrico Tronci
- Department of Computer Science, University of Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy
| | - Toni Mancini
- Department of Computer Science, University of Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy
| | - Fabian Ille
- Center of Competence in Aerospace Biomedical Science & Technology, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hergiswil, Switzerland
| | - Susanna Röblitz
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Tillmann Krüger
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Brigitte Leeners
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University hospital Zürich, 8910 Zurich, Frauenklinikstr. 10, Switzerland.
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11
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Özel İÇ, Yabancı Ayhan N, Çetiner Ö. Adaptation of Food Craving Inventory to Turkish culture: a validity and reliability study. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:144. [PMID: 36203217 PMCID: PMC9540726 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00667-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Food Craving Inventory is a 28-item self-report measure of specific food cravings. The inventory consists of 4 factors: high fats, sweets, carbohydrates/starches and fast-food fats. PURPOSE This study was carried out to evaluate the Turkish validity and reliability of the Food Craving Inventory, and to determine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Turkish version. METHODS The sample of the study consists of 621 individuals between the ages of 19-50 who voluntarily agree to participate in online survey. Validity and reliability analyses were performed for the Turkish version of Food Craving Inventory (FCI-TR). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the factor structure of the Turkish version of FCI. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a four-factor structure as "sweets," "high-fats," "carbohydrates/starches" and "fast food fats". The Cronbach-alpha coefficient for the total score was 0.84; subfactors were calculated as 0.74 for "sweets", 0.64 for "high-fat foods", 0.65 for "carbohydrates/starches", and 0.66 for "fast-food fats". The scores of the FCI-TR factors and its total score significantly correlated with the sub-factors of Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). A significant correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and high fats and fast-food fats factor score. Also total and factor scores of the FCI-TR were different between BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the Turkish version of the FCI is a valid and reliable tool to measure food cravings in the Turkish population. FCI is also correlated with sub-factors of TFEQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- İrem Çağla Özel
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Atılım University, Ankara, Turkey. .,Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Nurcan Yabancı Ayhan
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Özlem Çetiner
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Atılım University, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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12
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Yao F, Zhuang Y, Shen X, Wang X. Attentional bias towards appealing and disgusting food cues varies with the menstrual cycle. Appetite 2022; 175:106063. [PMID: 35513206 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian hormonal changes along the female menstrual cycle are believed to adapt women to the external environment through various adaptive strategies, including modulating appetite and eating behavior. We aimed to compare food-associated behavioral responses between two distinct menstrual phases (late follicular vs. mid-luteal) and investigate the underlying neural mechanism. Attentional bias towards visual food cues was repeatedly measured in 29 healthy young women during these two menstrual phases in a counterbalanced manner. Combining an emotional dot-probe task with frequency-tagged electroencephalography (EEG), we confirmed that the menstrual cycle modulated healthy women's attentional bias towards appealing and disgusting food cues. Women in the mid-luteal phase showed more avoidance of disgusting food cues, as reflected by a significantly longer response time. Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) results indicated that they exhibited a trend of transiently enhanced attentional bias towards appealing food cues and another trend of speeded attentional withdrawal from disgusting food cues during the mid-luteal phase relative to the late follicular phase, albeit non-significant after correction for multiple testing. Moreover, a significantly larger P3 amplitude was evoked by probes following the presentation of disgusting food cues in the mid-luteal phase than the late follicular phase. These findings indicate divergent attentional deployments on emotional food cues across menstrual phases and suggest the mid-luteal phase as a relatively sensitive stage in the menstrual cycle for women to regulate their appetite and eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshu Yao
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiyun Zhuang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueer Shen
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
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13
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Kundakovic M, Rocks D. Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: From clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101010. [PMID: 35716803 PMCID: PMC9715398 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Women are at twice the risk for anxiety and depression disorders as men are, although the underlying biological factors and mechanisms are largely unknown. In this review, we address this sex disparity at both the etiological and mechanistic level. We dissect the role of fluctuating sex hormones as a critical biological factor contributing to the increased depression and anxiety risk in women. We provide parallel evidence in humans and rodents that brain structure and function vary with naturally-cycling ovarian hormones. This female-unique brain plasticity and associated vulnerability are primarily driven by estrogen level changes. For the first time, we provide a sex hormone-driven molecular mechanism, namely chromatin organizational changes, that regulates neuronal gene expression and brain plasticity but may also prime the (epi)genome for psychopathology. Finally, we map out future directions including experimental and clinical studies that will facilitate novel sex- and gender-informed approaches to treat depression and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Devin Rocks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
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14
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Dang N, Khalil D, Sun J, Naveed A, Soumare F, Nusslock R, Hamidovic A. Behavioral Symptomatology in the Premenstruum. Brain Sci 2022; 12:814. [PMID: 35884622 PMCID: PMC9312467 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sleep and eating behaviors are disturbed during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle in a significant number of reproductive-age women. Despite their impact on the development and control of chronic health conditions, these behaviors are poorly understood. In the present study, we sought to identify affective and psychological factors which associate with premenstrual changes in sleeping and eating behaviors and assess how they impact functionality. METHODS Fifty-seven women provided daily ratings of premenstrual symptomatology and functionality across two-three menstrual cycles (156 cycles total). For each participant and symptom, we subtracted the mean day +5 to +10 ("post-menstruum") ratings from mean day -6 to -1 ("pre-menstruum") ratings and divided this value by participant- and symptom-specific variance. We completed the statistical analysis using multivariate linear regression. RESULTS Low interest was associated with a premenstrual increase in insomnia (p ≤ 0.05) and appetite/eating (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, insomnia was associated with occupational (p ≤ 0.001), recreational (p ≤ 0.001), and relational (p ≤ 0.01) impairment. CONCLUSIONS Results of the present analysis highlight the importance of apathy (i.e., low interest) on the expression of behavioral symptomatology, as well as premenstrual insomnia on impairment. These findings can inform treatment approaches, thereby improving care for patients suffering from premenstrual symptomatology linked to chronic disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhan Dang
- Department of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (N.D.); (J.S.)
| | - Dina Khalil
- Department of Public Health, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL 60532, USA;
| | - Jiehuan Sun
- Department of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (N.D.); (J.S.)
| | - Aamina Naveed
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (A.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Fatimata Soumare
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (A.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA;
| | - Ajna Hamidovic
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (A.N.); (F.S.)
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15
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Oliveira LA, Della Lucia CM, Rezende FAC, Ferreira LG, Anastácio LR, Souza TCDM, Daniel MM, Liboredo JC. Food Craving and Its Associated Factors during COVID-19 Outbreak in Brazil. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19325037.2022.2071360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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16
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Heuberger LS, Gobbi S, Weber SC, Graf G, Tobler PN, Asarian L, Geary N, Roth M, Leeners B. Is It Worth It? Obesity Affects Snack Food Valuation Across the Menstrual Cycle. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:800976. [PMID: 35250448 PMCID: PMC8889102 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.800976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The importance of menstrual cycle physiology in appetite and obesity is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of body mass index (BMI), menstrual cycle phase and sweet and salty taste on monetary valuation of snack foods. Methods We recruited 72 women and after the application of in- and exclusion criteria 31 participants with healthy weight and 25 with obesity remained. The participants completed a willingness to pay (WTP) task to measure subjective value of 30 snack food items in the pre-ovulatory and mid-luteal cycle phases. Results Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis revealed that BMI, cycle phase and snack taste interacted to influence WTP (−0.15 [−0.22, −0.03], p = 0.002). Hence, WTP was inversely related to BMI, but the strength of the relation depended on cycle phase and taste. The WTP of participants with healthy weight for salty taste changed across cycle phase but the WTP for sweet taste was not affected by cycle phase. Moreover, the cycle effect for the salty snacks ceased in participants with obesity. Conclusion The inverse effect of BMI on WTP valuation of snack foods contrasts with the positive effect of BMI on pleasantness ratings for milkshakes by the same women that we previously reported. This indicates that the two measures reflect different aspects of food-related valuative processing in obesity. Furthermore, the WTP data suggest that the selection of salty snacks may differ from that of sweet snacks in the pre-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle for individuals of healthy weight. The cycle phase does not seem to affect food valuation of participants with obesity. These findings are relevant to understanding and treating obesity in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susanna Gobbi
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanna C. Weber
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gwendolyn Graf
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lori Asarian
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | | | - Mareike Roth
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Leeners
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Brigitte Leeners,
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17
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Dang N, Khalil D, Sun J, Naveed A, Soumare F, Hamidovic A. Waist Circumference and Its Association With Premenstrual Food Craving: The PHASE Longitudinal Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:784316. [PMID: 35573360 PMCID: PMC9091555 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.784316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral adiposity is a significant marker of all-cause mortality. Reproductive age women are at a considerable risk for developing visceral adiposity; however, the associated factors are poorly understood. The proposed study evaluated whether food craving experienced during the premenstrual period is associated with waist circumference. Forty-six women (mean BMI = 24.36) prospectively provided daily ratings of food craving across two-three menstrual cycles (122 cycles total). Their premenstrual rating of food craving was contrasted against food craving in the follicular phase to derive a corrected summary score of the premenstrual food craving increase. Study groups were divided into normal (n = 26) and obese (n = 20) based on the 80 cm waist circumference cutoff signifying an increase in risk. Waist circumference category was significantly associated with premenstrual food cravings [F (1,44) = 5.12, p = 0.028]. Post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test (95% family-wise confidence level) showed that the mean score for the food craving effect size was 0.35 higher for the abdominally obese vs. normal study groups (95% CI: 0.039 to 0.67). The result was statistically significant even following inclusion of BMI in the model, pointing to a particularly dangerous process of central fat accumulation. The present study establishes an association between temporal vulnerability to an increased food-related behavior and a marker of metabolic abnormality risk (i.e., waist circumference), thereby forming a basis for integrating the premenstruum as a viable intervention target for this at-risk sex and age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhan Dang
- Department of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Dina Khalil
- Department of Public Health, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL, United States
| | - Jiehuan Sun
- Department of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Aamina Naveed
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fatimata Soumare
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ajna Hamidovic
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
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18
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Portella AK, Papantoni A, Joseph AT, Chen L, Lee RS, Silveira PP, Dube L, Carnell S. Genetically-predicted prefrontal DRD4 gene expression modulates differentiated brain responses to food cues in adolescent girls and boys. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24094. [PMID: 34916545 PMCID: PMC8677785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02797-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine receptor 4 (DRD4) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts to modulate behaviours including cognitive control and motivation, and has been implicated in behavioral inhibition and responsivity to food cues. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the development of habitual eating behaviors and obesity risk, with potential mediation by development of the PFC. We previously found that genetic variations influencing DRD4 function or expression were associated with measures of laboratory and real-world eating behavior in girls and boys. Here we investigated brain responses to high energy–density (ED) and low-ED food cues using an fMRI task conducted in the satiated state. We used the gene-based association method PrediXcan to estimate tissue-specific DRD4 gene expression in prefrontal brain areas from individual genotypes. Among girls, those with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed lesser activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in a distributed network of regions implicated in attention and sensorimotor processing including middle frontal gyrus, and lesser activation to low-ED vs non-food cues in key regions implicated in valuation including orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial PFC. In contrast, males with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed minimal differences in food cue response, namely relatively greater activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in the inferior parietal lobule. Our data suggest sex-specific effects of prefrontal DRD4 on brain food responsiveness in adolescence, with modulation of distributed regions relevant to cognitive control and motivation observable in female adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre K Portella
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Afroditi Papantoni
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Antoneta T Joseph
- McGill Centre for the Convergence of Health and Economics (MCCHE), McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Liuyi Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Psychiatric Neuroimaging, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patricia P Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurette Dube
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susan Carnell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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19
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Veselic S, Jocham G, Gausterer C, Wagner B, Ernhoefer-Reßler M, Lanzenberger R, Eisenegger C, Lamm C, Losecaat Vermeer A. A causal role of estradiol in human reinforcement learning. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105022. [PMID: 34273676 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The sex hormone estradiol is hypothesized to play a key role in human cognition, and reward processing specifically, via increased dopamine D1-receptor signalling. However, the effect of estradiol on reward processing in men has never been established. To fill this gap, we performed a double-blind placebo-controlled study in which men (N = 100) received either a single dose of estradiol (2 mg) or a placebo. Subjects performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task where they had to choose between two options with varying reward probabilities to maximize monetary reward. Results showed that estradiol administration increased reward sensitivity compared to placebo. This effect was observed in subjects' choices, how much weight they assigned to their previous choices, and subjective reports about the reward probabilities. Furthermore, effects of estradiol were moderated by reward sensitivity, as measured through the BIS/BAS questionnaire. Using reinforcement learning models, we found that behavioral effects of estradiol were reflected in increased learning rates. These results demonstrate a causal role of estradiol within the framework of reinforcement learning, by enhancing reward sensitivity and learning. Furthermore, they provide preliminary evidence for dopamine-related genetic variants moderating the effect of estradiol on reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastijan Veselic
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Gausterer
- FDZ-Forensisches DNA Zentrallabor GmbH, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Wagner
- Laboratory for Chromatographic & Spectrometric Analysis, FH JOANNEUM, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Annabel Losecaat Vermeer
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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20
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Han P, Roitzsch C, Horstmann A, Pössel M, Hummel T. Increased Brain Reward Responsivity to Food-Related Odors in Obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021; 29:1138-1145. [PMID: 33913254 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Food odors serve as powerful stimuli signaling the food quality and energy density and direct food-specific appetite and consumption. This study explored obesity-related brain activation in response to odors related to high- or low-energy-dense foods. METHODS Seventeen participants with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2 ; 4 males and 13 females) and twenty-one with normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2 ; 9 males and 12 females) underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan in which they received chocolate (high-energy-dense food) and cucumber (low-energy-dense food) odor stimuli. Participants' olfactory and gustatory functions were assessed by the "Sniffin' Sticks" and "Taste Strips" tests, respectively. RESULTS Compared with normal-weight controls, participants with obesity had lower odor sensitivity (phenylethyl alcohol) and decreased odor discrimination ability. However, participants with obesity demonstrated greater brain activation in response to chocolate compared with cucumber odors in the bilateral inferior frontal operculum and cerebellar vermis, right ventral anterior insula extending to putamen, right middle temporal gyrus, and right supramarginal areas. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides preliminary evidence that obesity is associated with heightened brain activation of the reward and flavor processing areas in response to chocolate versus cucumber odors, possibly because of the higher energy density and reinforcing value of chocolate compared with cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Han
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- The Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Clemens Roitzsch
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University Medical Center, CRC 1052A5 'Obesity Mechanisms', Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maria Pössel
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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21
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Loos RJF, Burant C, Schur EA. Strategies to Understand the Weight-Reduced State: Genetics and Brain Imaging. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021; 29 Suppl 1:S39-S50. [PMID: 33759393 PMCID: PMC8500189 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Most individuals with obesity or overweight have difficulty maintaining weight loss. The weight-reduced state induces changes in many physiological processes that appear to drive weight regain. Here, we review the use of cell biology, genetics, and imaging techniques that are being used to begin understanding why weight regain is the normal response to dieting. As with obesity itself, weight regain has both genetic and environmental drivers. Genetic drivers for "thinness" and "obesity" largely overlap, but there is evidence for specific genetic loci that are different for each of these weight states. There is only limited information regarding the genetics of weight regain. Currently, most genetic loci related to weight point to the central nervous system as the organ responsible for determining the weight set point. Neuroimaging tools have proved useful in studying the contribution of the central nervous system to the weight-reduced state in humans. Neuroimaging technologies fall into three broad categories: functional, connectivity, and structural neuroimaging. Connectivity and structural imaging techniques offer unique opportunities for testing mechanistic hypotheses about changes in brain function or tissue structure in the weight-reduced state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth J. F. Loos
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Charles Burant
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ellen A. Schur
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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22
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Ma R, Mikhail ME, Culbert KM, Johnson AW, Sisk CL, Klump KL. Ovarian Hormones and Reward Processes in Palatable Food Intake and Binge Eating. Physiology (Bethesda) 2021; 35:69-78. [PMID: 31799907 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00013.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones are associated with risk for binge eating in women. Recent animal and human studies suggest that food-related reward processing may be one set of neurobiological factors that contribute to these relationships, but additional studies are needed to confirm and extend findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Megan E Mikhail
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kristen M Culbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Alex W Johnson
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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Dubol M, Epperson CN, Sacher J, Pletzer B, Derntl B, Lanzenberger R, Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E. Neuroimaging the menstrual cycle: A multimodal systematic review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100878. [PMID: 33098847 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that ovarian hormones affect brain structure, chemistry and function of women in their reproductive age, potentially shaping their behavior and mental health. Throughout the reproductive years, estrogens and progesterone levels fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and can modulate neural circuits involved in affective and cognitive processes. Here, we review seventy-seven neuroimaging studies and provide a comprehensive and data-driven evaluation of the accumulating evidence on brain plasticity associated with endogenous ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women (n = 1304). The results particularly suggest modulatory effects of ovarian hormones fluctuations on the reactivity and structure of cortico-limbic brain regions. These findings highlight the importance of performing multimodal neuroimaging studies on neural correlates of systematic ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women based on careful menstrual cycle staging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Dubol
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine-Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
| | - Julia Sacher
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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Ambrase A, Lewis CA, Barth C, Derntl B. Influence of ovarian hormones on value-based decision-making systems: Contribution to sexual dimorphisms in mental disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100873. [PMID: 32987043 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Women and men exhibit differences in behavior when making value-based decisions. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain these findings, stressing differences in functional lateralization of the brain, functional activation, neurotransmitter involvement and more recently, sex hormones. While a significant interaction of neurotransmitter systems and sex hormones has been shown for both sexes, decision-making in women might be particularly affected by variations of ovarian hormones. In this review we have gathered information from animal and human studies on how ovarian hormones affect decision-making processes in females by interacting with neurotransmitter systems at functionally relevant brain locations and thus modify the computation of decision aspects. We also review previous findings on impaired decision-making in animals and clinical populations with substance use disorder and depression, emphasizing how little we know about the role of ovarian hormones in aberrant decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiste Ambrase
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany; TübingenNeuroCampus, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Research School and Graduate Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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25
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Culbert KM, Sisk CL, Klump KL. A Narrative Review of Sex Differences in Eating Disorders: Is There a Biological Basis? Clin Ther 2021; 43:95-111. [PMID: 33375999 PMCID: PMC7902379 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Eating disorders and their core symptoms (eg, binge eating, body weight/shape concerns) disproportionately affect females, and these sex-differentiated effects become prominent during and after puberty. Although psychosocial influences such as heightened sociocultural pressures for thinness in girls and women contribute to this sex imbalance, biological factors could also play an important role. METHODS This narrative review summarizes evidence of biological factors underlying the sex-differentiated prevalence of eating pathology as well as within-sex variability in risk. FINDINGS There are sex differences in the pubertal emergence of genetic effects on eating pathology (adrenarche in males; gonadarche in females), and at least some genetic contributions to eating pathology seem to vary between the sexes. Furthermore, sex steroid hormones (eg, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone) are leading contributors to differential risk for eating pathology in males and females across the life span. Emerging data suggest that between-sex and within-sex variability in risk might occur via hormone-driven modulation (activation/deactivation) of genetic influences and neural responsiveness to food-related cues. IMPLICATIONS There is a biological basis to heightened risk for eating pathology in females, relative to males, as well as unique biological influences within each sex. Findings from this review highlight the importance of studying both sexes and considering sex-specific biological mechanisms that may underlie differential risk for eating pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Culbert
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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26
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Alonso-Caraballo Y, Guha SK, Chartoff EH. The neurobiology of abstinence-induced reward-seeking in males and females. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 200:173088. [PMID: 33333134 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Drugs of abuse and highly palatable foods (e.g. high fat or sweet foods) have powerful reinforcing effects, which can lead to compulsive and addictive drives to ingest these substances to the point of psychopathology and self-harm--specifically the development of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and obesity. Both SUD and binge-like overeating can be defined as disorders in which the salience of the reward (food or drug) becomes exaggerated relative to, and at the expense of, other rewards that promote well-being. A major roadblock in the treatment of these disorders is high rates of relapse after periods of abstinence. It is common, although not universal, for cue-induced craving to increase over time with abstinence, often triggered by cues previously paired with the reinforcing substance. Accumulating evidence suggests that similar neural circuits and cellular mechanisms contribute to abstinence-induced and cue-triggered seeking of drugs and palatable food. Although much research has focused on the important role of corticolimbic circuitry in drug-seeking, our goal is to expand focus to the more recently explored hypothalamic-thalamic-striatal circuitry. Specifically, we review how connections, and neurotransmitters therein, among the lateral hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and the nucleus accumbens contribute to abstinence-induced opioid- and (high fat or sweet) food-seeking. Given that biological sex and gonadal hormones have been implicated in addictive behavior across species, another layer to this review is to compare behaviors and neural circuit-based mechanisms of abstinence-induced opioid- or food-seeking between males and females when such data is available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suman K Guha
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
| | - Elena H Chartoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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27
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Wang JX, Zhuang JY, Fu L, Lei Q, Fan M, Zhang W. How ovarian hormones influence the behavioral activation and inhibition system through the dopamine pathway. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237032. [PMID: 32790683 PMCID: PMC7425921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioral activation system (BAS) and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) have been proposed to relate to stable traits that predict inter-individual differences in motivation. Prior reports point dopamine (DA) pathways, mainly including ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN), implicate in subserving reward-related functions associated with BAS and inhibitory functions related with BIS. However, as an important factor that affects DA releasing, it remains an open question whether the ovarian hormones may also be related to BIS/BAS. Here, to investigate effects of the estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PROG) on BIS/BAS and related DA pathways, we employed a BIS/BAS scale and the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the late follicular phase (FP) and the mid-luteal phase (LP). On the behavioral level, when women had high PROG levels, their E2 levels were found positively correlated with BIS scores, but those women whose PROG levels were low, their E2 levels were negative correlation with BIS scores. On the neural level, we demonstrated BAS was related with the VTA pathway, included brain reward regions of nucleus accumbens (NAc) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Meanwhile, the BIS was correlated with the SN-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) pathway. ROI-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses further revealed that, RSFC between the SN and dlPFC was modulated by ovarian hormones. With higher PROG levels, increased E2 levels among women were accompanied by stronger RSFC of the SN-dlPFC, but when PROG levels were low, E2 levels were negatively correlated with the SN-dlPFC RSFC. These findings revealed a combined enhancement effect of E2 and PROG on BIS, and the SN-dlPFC pathway was mainly involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xi Wang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Ying Zhuang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lulu Fu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Lei
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingxia Fan
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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28
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Strahler J, Hermann A, Schmidt NM, Stark R, Hennig J, Munk AJ. Food cue-elicited brain potentials change throughout menstrual cycle: Modulation by eating styles, negative affect, and premenstrual complaints. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104811. [PMID: 32592725 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is evidence for increased food intake and craving during the luteal phase, underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study investigated electrophysiological responses to food pictures as a function of menstrual cycle phase. In addition, the moderating effects of progesterone, eating behaviors (restraint, emotional, orthorexic), negative affect, and premenstrual complaints were explored. METHODS Using a within-subject design, 35 free-cycling women watched and rated pictures of food (high and low caloric) and control items during the follicular, the ovulatory, and the luteal phase (counterbalanced), while EEG was recorded to examine the late positive potentials (LPP). Salivary gonadal hormones and affect were examined at each occasion. Eating behaviors and premenstrual complaints were assessed once. RESULTS For parietal regions, average LPPs were comparable between cycle phases but slightly larger LPP amplitudes were elicited by high caloric food pictures as compared to the neutral category. Descriptively, both food categories elicited larger parietal LPPs than neutral pictures during the luteal phase. Analyses of LPPs for central-parietal regions showed no effect of picture category or cycle phase, except higher amplitudes in the right area during the luteal phase. During the luteal phase, progesterone and functional interference from premenstrual symptoms (but not age, BMI, picture ratings, affect, estradiol, or eating behaviors) significantly predicted larger parietal LPPs towards high caloric (but not low caloric) pictures. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a heightened food cue reactivity during the luteal phase, which may relate to higher ovarian hormone secretion and more functional impact of premenstrual symptoms. This research contributes to a better understanding of menstrual health and the identification of preventive strategies for premenopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Strahler
- Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany.
| | - A Hermann
- Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - N M Schmidt
- Differential and Biological Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - R Stark
- Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - J Hennig
- Differential and Biological Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - A J Munk
- Differential and Biological Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
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29
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Lieberz J, Scheele D, Spengler FB, Matheisen T, Schneider L, Stoffel-Wagner B, Kinfe TM, Hurlemann R. Kinetics of oxytocin effects on amygdala and striatal reactivity vary between women and men. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1134-1140. [PMID: 31785587 PMCID: PMC7235226 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0582-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that intranasal oxytocin (OXT; 24 IU) reduces amygdala responses to fear-related stimuli in men, while exerting inverse effects in women. However, OXT enhances activity of the brain reward system in both sexes. Importantly, a crucial and still open question is whether there are sex-specific dose-response relationships for the amygdala and striatal regions. To address this question, a total of 90 healthy women participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study and the results were compared with our previous findings from men. Participants were randomly assigned to three doses of OXT (6 IU, 12 IU, and 24 IU) and completed an emotional face recognition task including fearful and happy faces of varying emotional intensities. Across doses, OXT enhanced amygdala reactivity to low fearful faces compared to placebo and increased responses to happy faces in the dorsal striatum in women. While treatment effects on amygdala reactivity were evident at each given dose, the OXT effect on striatal responses to social stimuli was more pronounced with higher doses, but this dose-dependent effect did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Importantly, OXT effects on amygdala and striatal activation significantly differed between sexes and striatal baseline sexual-dimorphic response patterns were diminished after administration of OXT. Our findings suggest that OXT increases the salience of social signals by strengthening the sensitivity for these signals in the amygdala and in the striatum in women, while OXT may primarily induce anxiolysis by reducing amygdala responses in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Lieberz
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Franny B. Spengler
- grid.5963.9Institute for Psychology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tatjana Matheisen
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lìa Schneider
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas M. Kinfe
- 0000 0001 2107 3311grid.5330.5Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 1009 3608grid.5560.6Department of Psychiatry, University of Oldenburg Medical Campus, 26160 Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
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30
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Sex and region-specific effects of high fat diet on PNNs in obesity susceptible rats. Physiol Behav 2020; 222:112963. [PMID: 32416158 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are specialized extracellular matrix structures that primarily surround fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons within the PFC. They regulate PV neuron function and plasticity to maintain cortical excitatory/inhibitory balance. For example, reductions in PNN intensity are associated with reduced local inhibition and enhanced pyramidal neuron firing. We previously found that exposure to dietary high fat reduced PNN intensity within the PFC of male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. However, how high fat affects PNNs in the PFC of females or in obesity-vulnerable vs. -resistant models is unknown. Therefore, we gave male and female SD, selectively bred obesity-prone (OP), and obesity-resistant rats (OR) free access to standard lab chow or 60% high fat for 21 days. We then measured the number of PNN positive cells and PNN intensity (determined by Wisteria floribunda agglutinin [WFA] staining) as well as the number of PV positive neurons using immunohistochemistry. We found sex and region-specific effects of dietary high fat on PNN intensity, in the absence of robust changes in cell number. Effects were comparable in SD and OP but differed in OR rats. Specifically, high fat reduced PNN intensities in male SD and OP rats but increased PNN intensities in female SD and OP rats. In contrast, effects in ORs were opposite, with males showing increases in PNN intensity and females showing a reduction in intensity. Finally, these effects were also region specific, with diet-induced reductions in PNN intensity found in the prelimbic PFC (PL-PFC) and ventral medial orbital frontal cortex (vmOFC) of SD and OP males in the absence of changes in the infralimbic PFC (IL-PFC), and increases in PNN intensity in the IL-PFC of SD and OP females in the absence of changes in other regions. These results are discussed in light of roles PNNs may play in influencing PFC neuronal activity and the differential role of these sub-regions in food-seeking and motivation.
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31
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Bayer J, Rusch T, Zhang L, Gläscher J, Sommer T. Dose-dependent effects of estrogen on prediction error related neural activity in the nucleus accumbens of healthy young women. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:745-755. [PMID: 31773208 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05409-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Whereas the effect of the sex steroid 17-beta-estradiol (E2) on dopaminergic (DA) transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is well evidenced in female rats, studies in humans are inconsistent. Moreover, linear and inverted u-shaped dose response curves have been observed for E2's effects on hippocampal plasticity, but the shape of dose response curves for E2's effects on the NAc is much less characterized. OBJECTIVES Investigation of dose response curves for E2's effects on DA-related neural activity in the human NAc. METHODS Placebo or E2 valerate in doses of 2, 4, 6 or 12 mg was orally administered to 125 naturally cycling young women during the low-hormone menstruation phase on two consecutive days using a randomized, double-blinded design. The E2 treatment regimen induced a wide range of E2 levels, from physiological (2- and 4-mg groups; equivalent to cycle peak) to supraphysiological levels (6- and 12-mg groups; equivalent to early pregnancy). This made it possible to study different dose response functions for E2's effects on NAc activity. During E2 peak, participants performed a well-established reversal learning paradigm. We used trial-wise prediction errors (PE) estimated via a computational reinforcement learning model as a proxy for dopaminergic activity. Linear and quadratic regression analyses predicting PE-related NAc activity from salivary E2 levels were calculated. RESULTS There was a positive linear relationship between PE-associated NAc activity and salivary E2 increases. CONCLUSIONS The randomized, placebo-controlled elevation of E2 levels stimulates NAc activity in the human brain, likely mediated by dopaminergic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Bayer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tessa Rusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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32
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Alonso-Caraballo Y, Ferrario CR. Effects of the estrous cycle and ovarian hormones on cue-triggered motivation and intrinsic excitability of medium spiny neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens core of female rats. Horm Behav 2019; 116:104583. [PMID: 31454509 PMCID: PMC7256930 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Naturally occurring alterations in estradiol influence food intake in females. However, how motivational responses to food cues are affected by the estrous cycle or ovarian hormones is unknown. In addition, while individual susceptibility to obesity is accompanied by enhanced incentive motivational responses to food cues and increased NAc intrinsic excitability in males, studies in females are absent. Therefore, we examined basal differences in intrinsic NAc excitability of obesity-prone vs. obesity-resistant females and determined how conditioned approach (a measure of cue-triggered motivation), food intake, and motivation for food vary with the cycle in naturally cycling female obesity-prone, obesity-resistant, and outbred Sprague-Dawley rats. Finally, we used ovariectomy followed by hormone treatment to determine the role of ovarian hormones in cue-triggered motivation in selectively-bred and outbred female rats. We found that intrinsic excitability of NAc MSNs and conditioned approach are enhanced in female obesity-prone vs. obesity-resistant rats. These effects were driven by greater MSN excitability and conditioned approach behavior during metestrus/diestrus vs. proestrus/estrus in obesity-prone but not obesity-resistant rats, despite similar regulation of food intake and food motivation by the cycle in these groups. Furthermore, estradiol and progesterone treatment reduced conditioned approach behavior in obesity-prone and outbred Sprague-Dawley females. To our knowledge, these data are the first to demonstrate cycle- and hormone-dependent effects on the motivational response to a food cue, and the only studies to date to determine how individual susceptibility to obesity influences NAc excitability, cue-triggered food-seeking, and differences in the regulation of these neurobehavioral responses by the estrous cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carrie R Ferrario
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America.
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33
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Berner LA, Brown TA, Lavender JM, Lopez E, Wierenga CE, Kaye WH. Neuroendocrinology of reward in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Beyond leptin and ghrelin. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 497:110320. [PMID: 30395874 PMCID: PMC6497565 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are still poorly understood, but psychobiological models have proposed a key role for disturbances in the neuroendocrines that signal hunger and satiety and maintain energy homeostasis. Mounting evidence suggests that many neuroendocrines involved in the regulation of homeostasis and body weight also play integral roles in food reward valuation and learning via their interactions with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Neuroimaging data have associated altered brain reward responses in this system with the dietary restriction and binge eating and purging characteristic of AN and BN. Thus, neuroendocrine dysfunction may contribute to or perpetuate eating disorder symptoms via effects on reward circuitry. This narrative review focuses on reward-related neuroendocrines that are altered in eating disorder populations, including peptide YY, insulin, stress and gonadal hormones, and orexins. We provide an overview of the animal and human literature implicating these neuroendocrines in dopaminergic reward processes and discuss their potential relevance to eating disorder symptomatology and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Berner
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
| | - Tiffany A Brown
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Jason M Lavender
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Emily Lopez
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Christina E Wierenga
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Walter H Kaye
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
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34
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Bierzynska M, Sobczak PA, Kozak A, Bielecki M, Strelau J, Kossut MM. No Risk, No Differences. Neural Correlates of Temperamental Traits Revealed Using Naturalistic fMRI Method. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1757. [PMID: 31447728 PMCID: PMC6691771 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this study was to identify the moderating role of temperamental traits, as defined by Strelau's Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT), in explaining brain activity evoked by video stimuli of varying stimulatory value. fMRI scans were performed in a group of 61 young females in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The validity of stimulus selection had been verified prior to the main study by collecting declarative measures of affective reactions, including valence, arousal, and basic emotions ratings. The choice of dynamic and complex video-stimuli allowed us to induce high levels of arousal effectively. Three categories of movies used in the experiment included neutral, low arousing, and highly arousing scenes. Movies classified into the last category depicted extreme-sport activities allowing us to confront the subjects with recordings potentially life-threatening situations. Results of the study revealed that activation of orbitofrontal cortex in highly arousing conditions is linked to the levels of activity, while traits of perseverance and emotional reactivity were negatively correlated with the BOLD signal in this structure. Low arousing movies evoked higher activation of the amygdala and left hippocampus in emotionally reactive subjects. Obtained results might be coherently interpreted in the light of RTT theory, therefore providing its first validation using functional brain imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bierzynska
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pamela Anna Sobczak
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Kozak
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maksymilian Bielecki
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Strelau
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Maria Kossut
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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Zhang S, Zhornitsky S, Le TM, Li CSR. Hypothalamic Responses to Cocaine and Food Cues in Individuals with Cocaine Dependence. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:754-764. [PMID: 31420667 PMCID: PMC6929672 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with cocaine addiction are characterized by under-responsiveness to natural reinforcers. As part of the dopaminergic pathways, the hypothalamus supports motivated behaviors. Rodent studies suggested inter-related roles of the hypothalamus in regulating drug and food intake. However, few studies have investigated hypothalamic responses to drugs and food or related cues in humans. METHODS We examined regional responses in 20 cocaine-dependent and 24 healthy control participants exposed to cocaine/food (cocaine dependent) and food (healthy control) vs neutral cues during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We examined the relationship between imaging findings and clinical variables and performed mediation analyses to examine the inter-relationships between cue-related activations, tonic cocaine craving, and recent cocaine use. RESULTS At a corrected threshold, cocaine-dependent participants demonstrated higher activation to cocaine than to food cues in the hypothalamus, inferior parietal cortex, and visual cortex. Cocaine-dependent participants as compared with healthy control participants also demonstrated higher hypothalamic activation to food cues. Further, the extent of these cue-induced hypothalamic activations was correlated with tonic craving, as assessed by the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, and days of cocaine use in the prior month. In mediation analyses, hypothalamic activation to cocaine and food cues both completely mediated the relationship between the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire score and days of cocaine use in the past month. CONCLUSIONS The results were consistent with the proposition that the mechanisms of feeding and drug addiction are inter-linked in the hypothalamus and altered in cocaine addiction. The findings provide new evidence in support of hypothalamic dysfunction in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Correspondence: Sheng Zhang, PhD, Connecticut Mental Health Center S103, 34 Park Street, New Haven CT 06519 ()
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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Pilarczyk J, Schwertner E, Wołoszyn K, Kuniecki M. Phase of the menstrual cycle affects engagement of attention with emotional images. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:25-32. [PMID: 30784902 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Changes that occur during the menstrual cycle affect various aspects of behavior, cognition, and emotion. Here, we focused on potential differences between early follicular and midluteal phases in the way women process images of behaviorally relevant content categories: children, threat, disgust, erotic scenes, low- and high-calorie food. Using eye-tracking, we examined women's engagement of attention in the key region of each image in a free-viewing condition. Specifically, we tested how quickly attention was attracted to these regions and for how long it was held there. Participants took part in two experimental sessions, one in the early follicular and one in the midluteal phase. The results showed that in the midluteal phase attention was attracted to the key region earlier than in the early follicular phase: the first fixation more often fell within the key region and there were fewer fixations preceding it. While the effect of the phase in terms of the capture of attention did not depend on the image category, the effect regarding the hold of attention was category-specific, concerning the disgust category only. Specifically, in the midluteal phase the duration of the exploration of the key region between reaching it for the first time and first exiting it was shorter, which might be due to heightened sensitivity to disgusting stimuli in this period. Overall, our results indicate the occurrence of changes in attentional processing of emotional scenes related to the menstrual cycle, which seem to differ depending on the aspect of attention deployment: in the midluteal phase the effect of enhancing orienting was general and concerned any important visual information, whereas the effect of the shortened hold of attention appeared to be limited to specific content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Pilarczyk
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Psychology, Psychophysiology Lab, Poland.
| | - Emilia Schwertner
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Psychology, Psychophysiology Lab, Poland.
| | - Kinga Wołoszyn
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Psychology, Psychophysiology Lab, Poland.
| | - Michał Kuniecki
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Psychology, Psychophysiology Lab, Poland.
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38
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He Q, Huang X, Zhang S, Turel O, Ma L, Bechara A. Dynamic Causal Modeling of Insular, Striatal, and Prefrontal Cortex Activities During a Food-Specific Go/NoGo Task. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:1080-1089. [PMID: 30691967 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the dynamic interactions among three neural systems that are implicated in substance and behavioral addictions in response to food cues in young adults. These include an impulsive system involving the striatum, a reflective system involving the prefrontal cortex, and a homeostasis sensing system involving the insular cortex. METHODS College students (N = 45) with various levels of body mass index were recruited. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired while participants performed food-related Go/NoGo tasks, with low-calorie and high-calorie food cues. Participants were scanned under both food satiety and deprivation conditions. Dynamic causal modeling was applied to the data to examine the causal architecture of coupled or distributed dynamics among the aforementioned systems. RESULTS Participants showed difficulty inhibiting responses to high-calorie foods as suggested by higher false alarm rate and decision bias for low-calorie food Go task. This difficulty was enhanced during the food deprivation condition. Deprivation increased neural activity of both the insula and the striatum bilaterally in response to high-calorie foods during Go trials and anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity during NoGo trials. Dynamic causal modeling analysis revealed that food deprivation modulated the communications between the insula, striatum, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the modulations were positively associated with body mass index. CONCLUSIONS The results support tripartite views of decision making. Deprivation states, such as hunger, trigger insular activity, which modulates the balance between impulsive and reflective systems when facing tempting food cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua He
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beibei, Chongqing; Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beibei, Chongqing; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beibei, Chongqing.
| | - Xiaolu Huang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beibei, Chongqing
| | - Shuyue Zhang
- Faculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Applied Psychology, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Ofir Turel
- Information Systems and Decision Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, California; Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Liangsuo Ma
- Department of Radiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Antoine Bechara
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Moreno-Padilla M, Verdejo-Román J, Fernández-Serrano MJ, Reyes del Paso GA, Verdejo-García A. Increased food choice-evoked brain activation in adolescents with excess weight: Relationship with subjective craving and behavior. Appetite 2018; 131:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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40
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Guzzardi MA, Garelli S, Agostini A, Filidei E, Fanelli F, Giorgetti A, Mezzullo M, Fucci S, Mazza R, Vicennati V, Iozzo P, Pagotto U. Food addiction distinguishes an overweight phenotype that can be reversed by low calorie diet. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2018; 26:657-670. [PMID: 30350446 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Similarities in neural activation patterns in obese and substance-dependent subjects led to the food addiction concept, but studies exploiting this issue for obesity stratification are missing. We assessed brain activation in response to food cues using 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose-PET in 36 overweight women, stratified by low or high food addiction groups according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Assessments were repeated after a 3-month diet. We found greater activation in thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, putamen, and occipital cortex (reward), but not in prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices (control/reward receipt) in the high-YFAS versus low-YFAS group. In high-YFAS subjects, orbitofrontal responsiveness was inversely related to YFAS severity and hunger rating, and positive associations were observed between regional brain activation and lipid intake. A 3-month diet abolished group differences in brain activation. Our data suggest that food addiction distinguishes an overweight phenotype that can be reversed by diet, opening to personalized strategies in obesity treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Garelli
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Agostini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine DIMES St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Flaminia Fanelli
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Marco Mezzullo
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Mazza
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Vicennati
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patricia Iozzo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Uberto Pagotto
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Centre for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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42
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Miedl SF, Blechert J, Meule A, Richard A, Wilhelm FH. Suppressing images of desire: Neural correlates of chocolate-related thoughts in high and low trait chocolate cravers. Appetite 2018. [PMID: 29518469 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chocolate is the most often craved food in Western societies and many individuals try to resist its temptation due to weight concerns. Suppressing chocolate-related thoughts might, however, lead to paradoxical enhancements of these thoughts and this effect might be more pronounced in individuals with frequent chocolate cravings. In the current study, neural and cognitive correlates of chocolate thought suppression were investigated as a function of trait chocolate craving. Specifically, 20 high and 20 low trait chocolate cravers followed suppression vs. free thinking instructions after being exposed to chocolate and neutral images. Enhanced cue reactivity was evident in high trait chocolate cravers in that they reported more chocolate-related thoughts selectively after chocolate images compared to their low trait craving counterparts. This cue reactivity was mirrored neurally by higher activation in the ventral and dorsal striatum, demonstrating enhanced reward system activity. Unexpectedly, high trait chocolate cravers successfully reduced their elevated chocolate thoughts in the suppression condition. This lends support for the use of thought suppression as a means of regulating unwanted thoughts, cravings and imagery. Whether this thought manipulation is able to curb the elevated cue reactivity and the underlying reward sensitivity in chocolate cravers in applied settings remains to be shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan F Miedl
- Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jens Blechert
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Adrian Meule
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Richard
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Frank H Wilhelm
- Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria
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Ihssen N, Sokunbi MO, Lawrence AD, Lawrence NS, Linden DEJ. Neurofeedback of visual food cue reactivity: a potential avenue to alter incentive sensitization and craving. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:915-924. [PMID: 27233784 PMCID: PMC5486584 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9558-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
FMRI-based neurofeedback transforms functional brain activation in real-time into sensory stimuli that participants can use to self-regulate brain responses, which can aid the modification of mental states and behavior. Emerging evidence supports the clinical utility of neurofeedback-guided up-regulation of hypoactive networks. In contrast, down-regulation of hyperactive neural circuits appears more difficult to achieve. There are conditions though, in which down-regulation would be clinically useful, including dysfunctional motivational states elicited by salient reward cues, such as food or drug craving. In this proof-of-concept study, 10 healthy females (mean age = 21.40 years, mean BMI = 23.53) who had fasted for 4 h underwent a novel 'motivational neurofeedback' training in which they learned to down-regulate brain activation during exposure to appetitive food pictures. FMRI feedback was given from individually determined target areas and through decreases/increases in food picture size, thus providing salient motivational consequences in terms of cue approach/avoidance. Our preliminary findings suggest that motivational neurofeedback is associated with functionally specific activation decreases in diverse cortical/subcortical regions, including key motivational areas. There was also preliminary evidence for a reduction of hunger after neurofeedback and an association between down-regulation success and the degree of hunger reduction. Decreasing neural cue responses by motivational neurofeedback may provide a useful extension of existing behavioral methods that aim to modulate cue reactivity. Our pilot findings indicate that reduction of neural cue reactivity is not achieved by top-down regulation but arises in a bottom-up manner, possibly through implicit operant shaping of target area activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Ihssen
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK. .,Department of Psychology, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK.
| | - Moses O Sokunbi
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Cognitive Neuroscience Sector, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, 34136, Italy
| | - Andrew D Lawrence
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | | | - David E J Linden
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
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Legget KT, Cornier MA, Bessesen DH, Mohl B, Thomas EA, Tregellas JR. Greater Reward-Related Neuronal Response to Hedonic Foods in Women Compared with Men. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2018; 26:362-367. [PMID: 29239138 PMCID: PMC5783782 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to identify how sex influences neurobiological responses to food cues, particularly those related to hedonic eating, and how this relates to obesity propensity, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS Adult men and women who were either obesity resistant (OR) or obesity prone (OP) underwent fMRI while viewing visual food cues (hedonic foods, neutral foods, and nonfood objects) in both fasted and fed states. RESULTS When fasted, a significant sex effect on the response to hedonic vs. neutral foods was observed, with greater responses in women than men in the nucleus accumbens (P = 0.0002) and insula (P = 0.010). Sex-based differences were not observed in the fed state. No significant group effects (OP vs. OR) or group-by-sex interactions were observed in fasted or fed states. CONCLUSIONS Greater fasted responses to hedonic food cues in reward-related brain regions were observed in women compared with men, suggesting that women may be more sensitive to the reward value of hedonic foods than men when fasted. This may indicate sex-dependent neurophysiology underlying eating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina T. Legget
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Marc-Andre Cornier
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Daniel H. Bessesen
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Brianne Mohl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Thomas
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Jason R. Tregellas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Research Service, VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, United States
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Zhang S, Wang W, Zhornitsky S, Li CSR. Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Lateral and Medial Hypothalamus in Cocaine Dependence: An Exploratory Study. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:344. [PMID: 30100886 PMCID: PMC6072838 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of dopamine in cocaine misuse has been extensively documented for the mesocorticolimbic circuit. Preclinical work from earlier lesion studies to recent multidisciplinary investigations has suggested that the hypothalamus is critically involved in motivated behavior, with the lateral and medial hypothalamus each involved in waking/feeding and resting/satiety. However, little is known of hypothalamus function and dysfunction in cocaine misuse. Here, we examined resting state functional connectivity of the lateral and medial hypothalamus in 70 individuals with cocaine dependence (CD) and 70 age as well as gender matched healthy controls (HC). Image pre-processing and analyses followed published work. Compared to HC, CD showed increased lateral hypothalamic connectivity with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and decreased functional connectivity with the ventral precuneus. CD showed increased medial hypothalamic connectivity with the inferior parietal lobule and decreased connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and ventral striatum. Further, at trend level significance, the connectivity strength between lateral hypothalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively correlated with total amount of cocaine use in the past month (p = 0.004, r = 0.35) and the connectivity strength between medial hypothalamus and ventral striatum was negatively correlated with cocaine craving as assessed by the Tiffany Cocaine Craving Questionnaire (p = 0.008, r = -0.33). Together, the findings demonstrated altered resting state functional connectivity of the hypothalamus and may provide new insight on circuit level deficits in cocaine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
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46
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Leeners B, Geary N, Tobler PN, Asarian L. Ovarian hormones and obesity. Hum Reprod Update 2017; 23:300-321. [PMID: 28333235 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmw045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is caused by an imbalance between energy intake, i.e. eating and energy expenditure (EE). Severe obesity is more prevalent in women than men worldwide, and obesity pathophysiology and the resultant obesity-related disease risks differ in women and men. The underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Pre-clinical and clinical research indicate that ovarian hormones may play a major role. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE We systematically reviewed the clinical and pre-clinical literature on the effects of ovarian hormones on the physiology of adipose tissue (AT) and the regulation of AT mass by energy intake and EE. SEARCH METHODS Articles in English indexed in PubMed through January 2016 were searched using keywords related to: (i) reproductive hormones, (ii) weight regulation and (iii) central nervous system. We sought to identify emerging research foci with clinical translational potential rather than to provide a comprehensive review. OUTCOMES We find that estrogens play a leading role in the causes and consequences of female obesity. With respect to adiposity, estrogens synergize with AT genes to increase gluteofemoral subcutaneous AT mass and decrease central AT mass in reproductive-age women, which leads to protective cardiometabolic effects. Loss of estrogens after menopause, independent of aging, increases total AT mass and decreases lean body mass, so that there is little net effect on body weight. Menopause also partially reverses women's protective AT distribution. These effects can be counteracted by estrogen treatment. With respect to eating, increasing estrogen levels progressively decrease eating during the follicular and peri-ovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle. Progestin levels are associated with eating during the luteal phase, but there does not appear to be a causal relationship. Progestins may increase binge eating and eating stimulated by negative emotional states during the luteal phase. Pre-clinical research indicates that one mechanism for the pre-ovulatory decrease in eating is a central action of estrogens to increase the satiating potency of the gastrointestinal hormone cholecystokinin. Another mechanism involves a decrease in the preference for sweet foods during the follicular phase. Genetic defects in brain α-melanocycte-stimulating hormone-melanocortin receptor (melanocortin 4 receptor, MC4R) signaling lead to a syndrome of overeating and obesity that is particularly pronounced in women and in female animals. The syndrome appears around puberty in mice with genetic deletions of MC4R, suggesting a role of ovarian hormones. Emerging functional brain-imaging data indicates that fluctuations in ovarian hormones affect eating by influencing striatal dopaminergic processing of flavor hedonics and lateral prefrontal cortex processing of cognitive inhibitory controls of eating. There is a dearth of research on the neuroendocrine control of eating after menopause. There is also comparatively little research on the effects of ovarian hormones on EE, although changes in ovarian hormone levels during the menstrual cycle do affect resting EE. WIDER IMPLICATIONS The markedly greater obesity burden in women makes understanding the diverse effects of ovarian hormones on eating, EE and body adiposity urgent research challenges. A variety of research modalities can be used to investigate these effects in women, and most of the mechanisms reviewed are accessible in animal models. Therefore, human and translational research on the roles of ovarian hormones in women's obesity and its causes should be intensified to gain further mechanistic insights that may ultimately be translated into novel anti-obesity therapies and thereby improve women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Leeners
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstr. 10, CH 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nori Geary
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Philippe N Tobler
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lori Asarian
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Wonderlich JA, Breithaupt LE, Crosby RD, Thompson JC, Engel SG, Fischer S. The relation between craving and binge eating: Integrating neuroimaging and ecological momentary assessment. Appetite 2017; 117:294-302. [PMID: 28698012 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The role of craving in binge eating characteristic of bulimia nervosa (BN) is inconclusive. A network of regions associated with cue reactivity to food and substances has been identified, comprised of the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and striatum. The goal of this study was to examine individual differences in BOLD response in this appetitive network as moderators of the relationship between craving and binging in the natural environment in women with BN. Women with BN (N = 16) completed a baseline measure of craving and a fMRI scan, where they viewed neutral cues and food cues. After each run, craving for food was assessed. Participants then completed an ecological momentary assessment six times a day via smart phone and recorded binge eating and craving. Participants exhibited significantly increased BOLD response in the left amygdala in response to food cues compared to neutral cues. However, individual differences in BOLD response were not correlated with self-report craving throughout the scan. The relationship between craving and binging in everyday life was moderated by individual differences in activation in the caudate, insula, and amygdala. Women with greater activation in these regions demonstrated significant increases in craving prior to binge eating. Those who did not exhibit increases in activation did not exhibit increases in craving prior to binge eating in the natural environment. Craving may not underlie binge eating for all individuals with BN. However, these results indicate that neural response to food cues may affect individual differences in the daily experience of craving and binge eating.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ross D Crosby
- Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - James C Thompson
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Scott G Engel
- Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Sarah Fischer
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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Chao AM, Loughead J, Bakizada ZM, Hopkins CM, Geliebter A, Gur RC, Wadden TA. Sex/gender differences in neural correlates of food stimuli: a systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies. Obes Rev 2017; 18:687-699. [PMID: 28371180 PMCID: PMC5549442 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Sex and gender differences in food perceptions and eating behaviors have been reported in psychological and behavioral studies. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize studies that examined sex/gender differences in neural correlates of food stimuli, as assessed by functional neuroimaging. Published studies to 2016 were retrieved and included if they used food or eating stimuli, assessed patients with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or positron emission tomography (PET), and compared activation between males and females. Fifteen studies were identified. In response to visual food cues, females, compared to males, showed increased activation in the frontal, limbic, and striatal areas of the brain as well as the fusiform gyrus. Differences in neural response to gustatory stimuli were inconsistent. This body of literature suggests that females may be more reactive to visual food stimuli. However, findings are based on a small number of studies and additional research is needed to establish a more definitive explanation and conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana M. Chao
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - James Loughead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Zayna M. Bakizada
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Christina M. Hopkins
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Allan Geliebter
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
- Department of Psychology, Touro College and University System
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Thomas A. Wadden
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
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Ulrich M, Steigleder L, Grön G. Neural signature of the Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ)-Trait. Appetite 2016; 107:303-310. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Alsaadi HM, Van Vugt DA. Insulin sensitivity affects corticolimbic brain responses to visual food cues in polycystic ovary syndrome patients. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig 2016; 24:101-15. [PMID: 26613332 DOI: 10.1515/hmbci-2015-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examined the effect of insulin sensitivity on the responsiveness of appetite regulatory brain regions to visual food cues. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nineteen participants diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were divided into insulin-sensitive (n=8) and insulin-resistant (n=11) groups based on the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while viewing food pictures following water or dextrose consumption. The corticolimbic blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to high-calorie (HC) or low-calorie (LC) food pictures were compared within and between groups. RESULTS BOLD responses to food pictures were reduced during a glucose challenge in numerous corticolimbic brain regions in insulin-sensitive but not insulin-resistant subjects. Furthermore, the degree of insulin resistance positively correlated with the corticolimbic BOLD response in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in response to HC pictures, and in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), mPFC, anterior cingulate, and insula in response to LC pictures following a glucose challenge. BOLD signal in the OFC, midbrain, hippocampus, and amygdala following a glucose challenge correlated with HOMA2-IR in response to HC-LC pictures. CONCLUSION We conclude that the normal inhibition of corticolimbic brain responses to food pictures during a glucose challenge is compromised in insulin-resistant subjects. The increase in brain responsiveness to food pictures during postprandial hyperinsulinemia may lead to greater non-homeostatic eating and perpetuate obesity in insulin-resistant subjects.
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