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Janet R, Smallwood J, Hutcherson CA, Plassmann H, Mckeown B, Tusche A. Body mass index-dependent shifts along large-scale gradients in human cortical organization explain dietary regulatory success. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314224121. [PMID: 38648482 PMCID: PMC11067012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314224121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Making healthy dietary choices is essential for keeping weight within a normal range. Yet many people struggle with dietary self-control despite good intentions. What distinguishes neural processing in those who succeed or fail to implement healthy eating goals? Does this vary by weight status? To examine these questions, we utilized an analytical framework of gradients that characterize systematic spatial patterns of large-scale neural activity, which have the advantage of considering the entire suite of processes subserving self-control and potential regulatory tactics at the whole-brain level. Using an established laboratory food task capturing brain responses in natural and regulatory conditions (N = 123), we demonstrate that regulatory changes of dietary brain states in the gradient space predict individual differences in dietary success. Better regulators required smaller shifts in brain states to achieve larger goal-consistent changes in dietary behaviors, pointing toward efficient network organization. This pattern was most pronounced in individuals with lower weight status (low-BMI, body mass index) but absent in high-BMI individuals. Consistent with prior work, regulatory goals increased activity in frontoparietal brain circuits. However, this shift in brain states alone did not predict variance in dietary success. Instead, regulatory success emerged from combined changes along multiple gradients, showcasing the interplay of different large-scale brain networks subserving dietary control and possible regulatory strategies. Our results provide insights into how the brain might solve the problem of dietary control: Dietary success may be easier for people who adopt modes of large-scale brain activation that do not require significant reconfigurations across contexts and goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Janet
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ONK7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ONK7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Cendri A. Hutcherson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 2E5, Canada
- Department of Marketing, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3E6, Canada
| | - Hilke Plassmann
- Marketing Area, INSEAD, FontainebleauF-77300, France
- Control-Interoception-Attention Team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Sorbonne University, Paris75013, France
| | - Bronte Mckeown
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ONK7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Anita Tusche
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ONK7L 3N6, Canada
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
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Fuchs BA, Pearce AL, Rolls BJ, Wilson SJ, Rose EJ, Geier CF, Garavan H, Keller KL. The Cerebellar Response to Visual Portion Size Cues Is Associated with the Portion Size Effect in Children. Nutrients 2024; 16:738. [PMID: 38474866 DOI: 10.3390/nu16050738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying susceptibility to eating more in response to large portions (i.e., the portion size effect) remain unclear. Thus, the present study examined how neural responses to portion size relate to changes in weight and energy consumed as portions increase. Associations were examined across brain regions traditionally implicated in appetite control (i.e., an appetitive network) as well as the cerebellum, which has recently been implicated in appetite-related processes. Children without obesity (i.e., BMI-for-age-and-sex percentile < 90; N = 63; 55% female) viewed images of larger and smaller portions of food during fMRI and, in separate sessions, ate four meals that varied in portion size. Individual-level linear and quadratic associations between intake (kcal, grams) and portion size (i.e., portion size slopes) were estimated. The response to portion size in cerebellar lobules IV-VI was associated with the quadratic portion size slope estimated from gram intake; a greater response to images depicting smaller compared to larger portions was associated with steeper increases in intake with increasing portion sizes. Within the appetitive network, neural responses were not associated with portion size slopes. A decreased cerebellar response to larger amounts of food may increase children's susceptibility to overeating when excessively large portions are served.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bari A Fuchs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alaina L Pearce
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Barbara J Rolls
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Stephen J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Emma J Rose
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 31793, USA
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Kathleen L Keller
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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3
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Medawar E, Beyer F, Thieleking R, Haange SB, Rolle-Kampczyk U, Reinicke M, Chakaroun R, von Bergen M, Stumvoll M, Villringer A, Witte AV. Prebiotic diet changes neural correlates of food decision-making in overweight adults: a randomised controlled within-subject cross-over trial. Gut 2024; 73:298-310. [PMID: 37793780 PMCID: PMC10850731 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Animal studies suggest that prebiotic, plant-derived nutrients could improve homoeostatic and hedonic brain functions through improvements in microbiome-gut-brain communication. However, little is known if these results are applicable to humans. Therefore, we tested the effects of high-dosed prebiotic fibre on reward-related food decision-making in a randomised controlled within-subject cross-over study and assayed potential microbial and metabolic markers. DESIGN 59 overweight young adults (19 females, 18-42 years, body mass index 25-30 kg/m2) underwent functional task MRI before and after 14 days of supplementary intake of 30 g/day of inulin (prebiotics) and equicaloric placebo, respectively. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), gastrointestinal hormones, glucose/lipid and inflammatory markers were assayed in fasting blood. Gut microbiota and SCFA were measured in stool. RESULTS Compared with placebo, participants showed decreased brain activation towards high-caloric wanted food stimuli in the ventral tegmental area and right orbitofrontal cortex after prebiotics (preregistered, family wise error-corrected p <0.05). While fasting blood levels remained largely unchanged, 16S-rRNA sequencing showed significant shifts in the microbiome towards increased occurrence of, among others, SCFA-producing Bifidobacteriaceae, and changes in >60 predicted functional signalling pathways after prebiotic intake. Changes in brain activation correlated with changes in Actinobacteria microbial abundance and associated activity previously linked with SCFA production, such as ABC transporter metabolism. CONCLUSIONS In this proof-of-concept study, a prebiotic intervention attenuated reward-related brain activation during food decision-making, paralleled by shifts in gut microbiota. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03829189.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Medawar
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frauke Beyer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ronja Thieleking
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven-Bastiaan Haange
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Madlen Reinicke
- Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rima Chakaroun
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden
- Medical Department III Endocrinology Nephrology Rheumatology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin von Bergen
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Stumvoll
- Medical Department III Endocrinology Nephrology Rheumatology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A Veronica Witte
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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Boyland E, Maden M, Coates AE, Masterson TD, Alblas MC, Bruce AS, Roberts CA. Food and non-alcoholic beverage marketing in children and adults: A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Obes Rev 2024; 25:e13643. [PMID: 37766661 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13643] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Food marketing impacts the food behaviors of children and adults, but the underpinning neural mechanisms are poorly understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis pooled evidence from neuroimaging studies of exposure to food marketing stimuli (vs. control) on brain activations in children and adults to clarify regions associated with responding. Databases were searched for articles published to March 2022. Inclusion criteria included human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies employing a contrast between a food marketing stimulus and a non-food/non-exposure control, published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, reporting whole brain (not Region of Interest [ROI] only) co-ordinates. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria, of which eight were included in the quantitative synthesis (Activation Likelihood Estimation [ALE] meta-analysis). Food marketing exposures (vs. controls) produced greater activation in two clusters lying across the middle occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, and cuneus (cluster 1), and the postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobule/supramarginal gyrus (cluster 2). Brain responses to food marketing are most consistently observed in areas relating to visual processing, attention, sensorimotor activity, and emotional processing. Subgroup analyses (e.g., adults vs. children) were not possible because of the paucity of data, and sensitivity analyses highlighted some instability in the clusters; therefore, conclusions remain tentative pending further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Boyland
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michelle Maden
- Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anna E Coates
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Travis D Masterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Monique C Alblas
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda S Bruce
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, USA
| | - Carl A Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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5
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Eddy KT, Plessow F, Breithaupt L, Becker KR, Slattery M, Mancuso CJ, Izquierdo AM, Van De Water AL, Kahn DL, Dreier MJ, Ebrahimi S, Deckersbach T, Thomas JJ, Holsen LM, Misra M, Lawson EA. Neural activation of regions involved in food reward and cognitive control in young females with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa versus healthy controls. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:220. [PMID: 37353543 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02494-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (AtypAN) are complex neurobiological illnesses that typically onset in adolescence with an often treatment-refractory and chronic illness trajectory. Aberrant eating behaviors in this population have been linked to abnormalities in food reward and cognitive control, but prior studies have not examined respective contributions of clinical characteristics and metabolic state. Research is needed to identify specific disruptions and inform novel intervention targets to improve outcomes. Fifty-nine females with AN (n = 34) or AtypAN (n = 25), ages 10-22 years, all ≤90% expected body weight, and 34 age-matched healthy controls (HC) completed a well-established neuroimaging food cue paradigm fasting and after a standardized meal, and we used ANCOVA models to investigate main and interaction effects of Group and Appetitive State on blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activation for the contrast of exposure to high-calorie food images minus objects. We found main effects of Group with greater BOLD activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus, caudate, and putamen for AN/AtypAN versus HC groups, and in the three-group model including AN, AtypAN, and HC (sub-)groups, where differences were primarily driven by greater activation in the AtypAN subgroup versus HC group. We found a main effect of Appetitive State with increased premeal BOLD activation in the hypothalamus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and caudate for models that included AN/AtypAN and HC groups, and in BOLD activation in the nucleus accumbens for the model that included AN, AtypAN, and HC (sub-)groups. There were no interaction effects of Group with Appetitive State for any of the models. Our findings demonstrate robust feeding-state independent group effects reflecting greater neural activation of specific regions typically associated with reward and cognitive control processing across AN and AtypAN relative to healthy individuals in this food cue paradigm. Differential activation of specific brain regions in response to the passive viewing of high-calorie food images may underlie restrictive eating behavior in this clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamryn T Eddy
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauren Breithaupt
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kendra R Becker
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meghan Slattery
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Avery L Van De Water
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Danielle L Kahn
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Melissa J Dreier
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seda Ebrahimi
- Cambridge Eating Disorders Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thilo Deckersbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- University of Applied Sciences, Diploma Hochschule, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
| | - Jennifer J Thomas
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madhusmita Misra
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Mass General for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Badaeva AV, Danilov AB, Clayton P, Moskalev AA, Karasev AV, Tarasevich AF, Vorobyeva YD, Novikov VN. Perspectives on Neuronutrition in Prevention and Treatment of Neurological Disorders. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15112505. [PMID: 37299468 DOI: 10.3390/nu15112505] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The term neuronutrition has been proposed as part of nutritional neuroscience, studying the effects of various dietary components on behavior and cognition. Other researchers underline that neuronutrition includes the use of various nutrients and diets to prevent and treat neurological disorders. The aim of this narrative review was to explore the current understanding of the term neuronutrition as the key concept for brain health, its potential molecular targets, and perspectives of its nutritional approach to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depressive disorders, migraine, and chronic pain. Neuronutrition can be defined as a part of neuroscience that studies the influence of various aspects of nutrition (nutrients, diet, eating behavior, food environment, etc.) on the development of nervous disorders and includes nutrition, clinical dietetics, and neurology. There is evidence that the neuronutritional approach can influence neuroepigenetic modifications, immunological regulation, metabolic control, and behavioral patterns. The main molecular targets in neuronutrition include neuroinflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, gut-brain axis disturbance, and neurotransmitter imbalance. To effectively apply neuronutrition for maintaining brain health, a personalized approach is needed, which includes the adaptation of the scientific findings to the genetic, biochemical, psycho-physiological, and environmental features of each individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia V Badaeva
- Department of Personalized and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 107113 Moscow, Russia
- Department for Nervous Diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey B Danilov
- Department of Personalized and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 107113 Moscow, Russia
- Department for Nervous Diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Paul Clayton
- Department of Personalized and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 107113 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A Moskalev
- Russian Research Clinical Center of Gerontology of the Russian National Research Medical University Named after N.I. Pirogov, 129226 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V Karasev
- Department of Personalized and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 107113 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey F Tarasevich
- Department of Personalized and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 107113 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia D Vorobyeva
- Department for Nervous Diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Viacheslav N Novikov
- Department for Nervous Diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
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7
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Kochs S, Franssen S, Pimpini L, van den Hurk J, Valente G, Roebroeck A, Jansen A, Roefs A. IT IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: ATTENTIONAL FOCUS RATHER THAN DIETARY RESTRAINT DRIVES BRAIN RESPONSES TO FOOD STIMULI. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120076. [PMID: 37004828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain responses to food are thought to reflect food's rewarding value and to fluctuate with dietary restraint. We propose that brain responses to food are dynamic and depend on attentional focus. Food pictures (high-caloric/low-caloric, palatable/unpalatable) were presented during fMRI-scanning, while attentional focus (hedonic/health/neutral) was induced in 52 female participants varying in dietary restraint. The level of brain activity was hardly different between palatable versus unpalatable foods or high-caloric versus low-caloric foods. Activity in several brain regions was higher in hedonic than in health or neutral attentional focus (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). Palatability and calorie content could be decoded from multi-voxel activity patterns (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected). Dietary restraint did not significantly influence brain responses to food. So, level of brain activity in response to food stimuli depends on attentional focus, and may reflect salience, not reward value. Palatability and calorie content are reflected in patterns of brain activity.
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8
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Russell A, Jansen E, Burnett AJ, Lee J, Russell CG. Children's eating behaviours and related constructs: conceptual and theoretical foundations and their implications. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2023; 20:19. [PMID: 36793039 PMCID: PMC9933409 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-023-01407-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a substantial body of research on children's eating behaviours (e.g., food responsiveness and fussiness) and related constructs (e.g., eating in the absence of hunger, appetite self-regulation). This research provides a foundation for understanding children's dietary intakes and healthy eating behaviours, as well as efforts at intervention, whether in relation to food avoidance, overeating and/or trajectories to excess weight gain. The success of these efforts and their associated outcomes is dependent on the theoretical foundation and conceptual clarity of the behaviours and constructs. This, in turn contributes to the coherence and precision of the definitions and measurement of these behaviours and constructs. Limited clarity in these areas ultimately creates uncertainty around the interpretation of findings from research studies and intervention programs. At present there does not appear to be an overarching theoretical framework of children's eating behaviours and associated constructs, or for separate domains of children's eating behaviours/constructs. The main purpose of the present review was to examine the possible theoretical foundations of some of the main current questionnaire and behavioural measures of children's eating behaviours and related constructs. METHODS We reviewed the literature on the most prominent measures of children's eating behaviours for use with children aged ~ 0-12 years. We focused on the explanations and justifications for the original design of the measures and whether these included theoretical perspectives, as well as current theoretical interpretations (and difficulties) of the behaviours and constructs. RESULTS We found that the most commonly used measures had their foundations in relatively applied or practical concerns rather than theoretical perspectives. CONCLUSIONS We concluded, consistent with Lumeng & Fisher (1), that although existing measures have served the field well, to advance the field as a science, and better contribute to knowledge development, increased attention should be directed to the conceptual and theoretical foundations of children's eating behaviours and related constructs. Suggestions for future directions are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Russell
- grid.1014.40000 0004 0367 2697College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia Australia
| | - Elena Jansen
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Alissa J. Burnett
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jookyeong Lee
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Catherine G. Russell
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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9
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Luo C, Zhu M, Zhuang X, Ma G. Food word processing in Chinese reading: A study of restrained eaters. Br J Psychol 2023; 114:476-494. [PMID: 36762466 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12638] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Food-related attentional bias refers that individuals typically prioritize rewarding food-related cues (e.g. food words and food images) compared with non-food stimuli; however, the findings are inconsistent for restrained eaters. Traditional paradigms used to test food-related attentional bias, such as visual probe tasks and visual search tasks, may not directly and accurately enough to reflect individuals' food-word processing at different cognitive stages. In this study, we introduced the boundary paradigm to investigate food-word attentional bias for both restrained and unrestrained eaters. Eye movements were recorded when they performed a naturalistic sentence-reading task. The results of later-stage analyses showed that food words were fixated on for less time than non-food words, which indicated a superiority of foveal food-word processing for both restrained and unrestrained eaters. The results of early-stage analyses showed that restrained eaters spent more time on pre-target regions in the food-word valid preview conditions, which indicated a parafoveal food-word processing superiority for restrained eaters (i.e. the parafoveal-on-foveal effect). The superiority of foveal food-word processing provides new insights into explaining food-related attentional bias in general groups. Additionally, the enhanced food-word attentional bias in parafoveal processing for restrained eaters illustrates the importance of individual characteristics in studying word recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Luo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mengyan Zhu
- School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Xiangling Zhuang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guojie Ma
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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10
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Poghosyan V, Ioannou S, Al-Amri KM, Al-Mashhadi SA, Al-Mohammed F, Al-Otaibi T, Al-Saeed W. Spatiotemporal profile of altered neural reactivity to food images in obesity: Reward system is altered automatically and predicts efficacy of weight loss intervention. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:948063. [PMID: 36845430 PMCID: PMC9944082 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.948063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Obesity presents a significant public health problem. Brain plays a central role in etiology and maintenance of obesity. Prior neuroimaging studies have found that individuals with obesity exhibit altered neural responses to images of food within the brain reward system and related brain networks. However, little is known about the dynamics of these neural responses or their relationship to later weight change. In particular, it is unknown if in obesity, the altered reward response to food images emerges early and automatically, or later, in the controlled stage of processing. It also remains unclear if the pretreatment reward system reactivity to food images is predictive of subsequent weight loss intervention outcome. Methods In this study, we presented high-calorie and low-calorie food, and nonfood images to individuals with obesity, who were then prescribed lifestyle changes, and matched normal-weight controls, and examined neural reactivity using magnetoencephalography (MEG). We performed whole-brain analysis to explore and characterize large-scale dynamics of brain systems affected in obesity, and tested two specific hypotheses: (1) in obese individuals, the altered reward system reactivity to food images occurs early and automatically, and (2) pretreatment reward system reactivity predicts the outcome of lifestyle weight loss intervention, with reduced activity associated with successful weight loss. Results We identified a distributed set of brain regions and their precise temporal dynamics that showed altered response patterns in obesity. Specifically, we found reduced neural reactivity to food images in brain networks of reward and cognitive control, and elevated reactivity in regions of attentional control and visual processing. The hypoactivity in reward system emerged early, in the automatic stage of processing (< 150 ms post-stimulus). Reduced reward and attention responsivity, and elevated neural cognitive control were predictive of weight loss after six months in treatment. Discussion In summary, we have identified, for the first time with high temporal resolution, the large-scale dynamics of brain reactivity to food images in obese versus normal-weight individuals, and have confirmed both our hypotheses. These findings have important implications for our understanding of neurocognition and eating behavior in obesity, and can facilitate development of novel integrated treatment strategies, including tailored cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahe Poghosyan
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,*Correspondence: Vahe Poghosyan,
| | - Stephanos Ioannou
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid M. Al-Amri
- Obesity, Endocrinology and Metabolism Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sufana A. Al-Mashhadi
- Research Unit, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fedaa Al-Mohammed
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tahani Al-Otaibi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wjoud Al-Saeed
- Research Unit, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Coricelli C, Rioux C, Torri L. Editorial: Food cognition: the crossroads of psychology, neuroscience and nutrition. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1194053. [PMID: 37125049 PMCID: PMC10140552 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1194053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carol Coricelli
- German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Carol Coricelli
| | - Camille Rioux
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (INCC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Luisa Torri
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Pollenzo, Italy
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12
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The brain bases of regulation of eating behaviors: the role of reward, executive control, and valuation processes, and new paths to propel the field forward. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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Pearce AL, Fuchs BA, Keller KL. The role of reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making frameworks in understanding food choice and eating behaviors. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1021868. [PMID: 36483928 PMCID: PMC9722736 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1021868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The obesogenic food environment includes easy access to highly-palatable, energy-dense, "ultra-processed" foods that are heavily marketed to consumers; therefore, it is critical to understand the neurocognitive processes the underlie overeating in response to environmental food-cues (e.g., food images, food branding/advertisements). Eating habits are learned through reinforcement, which is the process through which environmental food cues become valued and influence behavior. This process is supported by multiple behavioral control systems (e.g., Pavlovian, Habitual, Goal-Directed). Therefore, using neurocognitive frameworks for reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making can improve our understanding of food-choice and eating behaviors. Specifically, the role of reinforcement learning in eating behaviors was considered using the frameworks of (1) Sign-versus Goal-Tracking Phenotypes; (2) Model-Free versus Model-Based; and (3) the Utility or Value-Based Model. The sign-and goal-tracking phenotypes may contribute a mechanistic insight on the role of food-cue incentive salience in two prevailing models of overconsumption-the Extended Behavioral Susceptibility Theory and the Reactivity to Embedded Food Cues in Advertising Model. Similarly, the model-free versus model-based framework may contribute insight to the Extended Behavioral Susceptibility Theory and the Healthy Food Promotion Model. Finally, the value-based model provides a framework for understanding how all three learning systems are integrated to influence food choice. Together, these frameworks can provide mechanistic insight to existing models of food choice and overconsumption and may contribute to the development of future prevention and treatment efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina L. Pearce
- Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Bari A. Fuchs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kathleen L. Keller
- Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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14
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Devoto F, Coricelli C, Paulesu E, Zapparoli L. Neural circuits mediating food cue-reactivity: Toward a new model shaping the interplay of internal and external factors. Front Nutr 2022; 9:954523. [PMID: 36276811 PMCID: PMC9579536 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.954523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francantonio Devoto
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi—Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,*Correspondence: Francantonio Devoto
| | - Carol Coricelli
- Psychology Department, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi—Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,fMRI Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Zapparoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi—Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,fMRI Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Galeazzi, Milan, Italy,Laura Zapparoli
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15
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Abstract
The modern obesogenic environment contains an abundance of food cues (e.g., sight, smell of food) as well cues that are associated with food through learning and memory processes. Food cue exposure can lead to food seeking and excessive consumption in otherwise food-sated individuals, and a high level of food cue responsivity is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Similar food cue responses are observed in experimental rodent models, and these models are therefore useful for mechanistically identifying the neural circuits mediating food cue responsivity. This review draws from both experimental rodent models and human data to characterize the behavioral and biological processes through which food-associated stimuli contribute to overeating and weight gain. Two rodent models are emphasized - cue-potentiated feeding and Pavlovian-instrumental transfer - that provide insight in the neural circuits and peptide systems underlying food cue responsivity. Data from humans are highlighted that reveal physiological, psychological, and neural mechanisms that connect food cue responsivity with overeating and weight gain. The collective literature identifies connections between heightened food cue responsivity and obesity in both rodents and humans, and identifies underlying brain regions (nucleus accumbens, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus) and endocrine systems (ghrelin) that regulate food cue responsivity in both species. These species similarities are encouraging for the possibility of mechanistic rodent model research and further human research leading to novel treatments for excessive food cue responsivity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Kanoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kerri N Boutelle
- Department of Pediatrics, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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16
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Chumachenko SY, Cali RJ, Rosal MC, Allison JJ, Person SJ, Ziedonis D, Nephew BC, Moore CM, Zhang N, King JA, Fulwiler C. Keeping weight off: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction alters amygdala functional connectivity during weight loss maintenance in a randomized control trial. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244847. [PMID: 33428638 PMCID: PMC7799782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is associated with significant comorbidities and financial costs. While behavioral interventions produce clinically meaningful weight loss, weight loss maintenance is challenging. The objective was to improve understanding of the neural and psychological mechanisms modified by mindfulness that may predict clinical outcomes. Individuals who intentionally recently lost weight were randomized to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or a control healthy living course. Anthropometric and psychological factors were measured at baseline, 8 weeks and 6 months. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed at baseline and 8 weeks to examine FC changes between regions of interest selected a priori, and independent components identified by independent component analysis. The association of pre-post FC changes with 6-month weight and psychometric outcomes was then analyzed. Significant group x time interaction was found for FC between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, such that FC increased in the MBSR group and decreased in controls. Non-significant changes in weight were observed at 6 months, where the mindfulness group maintained their weight while the controls showed a weight increase of 3.4% in BMI. Change in FC at 8-weeks between ventromedial prefrontal cortex and several ROIs was associated with change in depression symptoms but not weight at 6 months. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence of neural mechanisms that may be involved in MBSR’s impact on weight loss maintenance that may be useful for designing future clinical trials and mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serhiy Y. Chumachenko
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Cali
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Milagros C. Rosal
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jeroan J. Allison
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sharina J. Person
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Douglas Ziedonis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin C. Nephew
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Constance M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jean A. King
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Carl Fulwiler
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Merchant JS, Cosme D, Giuliani NR, Dirks B, Berkman ET. Neural Substrates of Food Valuation and Its Relationship With BMI and Healthy Eating in Higher BMI Individuals. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:578676. [PMID: 33343310 PMCID: PMC7746820 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.578676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence points to a link between body mass index (BMI), eating behavior, and the brain's reward system. However, much of this research focuses on food cue reactivity without examining the subjective valuation process as a potential mechanism driving individual differences in BMI and eating behavior. The current pre-registered study (https://osf.io/n4c95/) examined the relationship between BMI, healthy eating, and subjective valuation of healthy and unhealthy foods in a community sample of individuals with higher BMI who intended to eat more healthily. Particularly, we examined: (1) alterations in neurocognitive measures of subjective valuation related to BMI and healthy eating; (2) differences in the neurocognitive valuation for healthy and unhealthy foods and their relation to BMI and healthy eating; (3) and whether we could conceptually replicate prior findings demonstrating differences in neural reactivity to palatable vs. plain foods. To this end, we scanned 105 participants with BMIs ranging from 23 to 42 using fMRI during a willingness-to-pay task that quantifies trial-by-trial valuation of 30 healthy and 30 unhealthy food items. We measured out of lab eating behavior via the Automated Self-Administered 24 H Dietary Assessment Tool, which allowed us to calculate a Healthy Eating Index (HEI). We found that our sample exhibited robust, positive linear relationships between self-reported value and neural responses in regions previously implicated in studies of subjective value, suggesting an intact valuation system. However, we found no relationship between valuation and BMI nor HEI, with Bayes Factor indicating moderate evidence for a null relationship. Separating the food types revealed that healthy eating, as measured by the HEI, was inversely related to subjective valuation of unhealthy foods. Imaging data further revealed a stronger linkage between valuation of healthy (compared to unhealthy) foods and corresponding response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and that the interaction between healthy and unhealthy food valuation in this region is related to HEI. Finally, our results did not replicate reactivity differences demonstrated in prior work, likely due to differences in the mapping between food healthiness and palatability. Together, our findings point to disruptions in the valuation of unhealthy foods in the vmPFC as a potential mechanism influencing healthy eating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid S Merchant
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program (NACS), Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Danielle Cosme
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nicole R Giuliani
- Prevention Science Institute, Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Bryce Dirks
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Elliot T Berkman
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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18
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Cosme D, Lopez RB. Neural Indicators Of Food Cue Reactivity, Regulation, And Valuation And Their Associations With Body Composition And Daily Eating Behavior. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 18:nsaa155. [PMID: 33216123 PMCID: PMC10074773 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to food cues activates the brain's reward system and undermines efforts to regulate impulses to eat. During explicit regulation, lateral prefrontal cortex activates and modulates activity in reward regions and decreases food cravings. However, it is unclear the extent to which between-person differences in recruitment of regions associated with reward processing, subjective valuation, and regulation during food cue exposure-absent instructions to regulate-predict body composition and daily eating behaviors. In this preregistered study, we pooled data from five fMRI samples (N = 262) to examine whether regions associated with reward, valuation, and regulation, as well as whole-brain pattern expression indexing these processes, were recruited during food cue exposure and associated with body composition and real-world eating behavior. Regression models for a single a priori analytic path indicated that univariate and multivariate measures of reward and valuation were associated with individual differences in BMI and enactment of daily food cravings. Specification curve analyses further revealed reliable associations between univariate and multivariate neural indicators of reactivity, regulation, and valuation, and all outcomes. These findings highlight the utility of these methods to elucidate brain-behavior associations and suggest that multiple processes are implicated in proximal and distal markers of eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Cosme
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richard B Lopez
- Department of Psychology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504, USA
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19
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Giuliani NR, Cosme D, Merchant JS, Dirks B, Berkman ET. Brain Activity Associated With Regulating Food Cravings Predicts Changes in Self-Reported Food Craving and Consumption Over Time. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:577669. [PMID: 33281580 PMCID: PMC7689031 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.577669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural patterns associated with viewing energy-dense foods can predict changes in eating-related outcomes. However, most research on this topic is limited to one follow-up time point, and single outcome measures. The present study seeks to add to that literature by employing a more refined assessment of food craving and consumption outcomes along with a more detailed neurobiological model of behavior change over several time points. Here, a community sample of 88 individuals (age: M = 39.17, SD = 3.47; baseline BMI: M = 31.5, SD = 3.9, range 24–42) with higher body mass index (BMI) performed a food craving reactivity and regulation task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. At that time—and 1, 3, and 6 months later—participants reported craving for and consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods via the Food Craving Inventory (FCI) and ASA24 (N at 6 months = 52–55 depending on the measure). A priori hypotheses that brain activity associated with both viewing and regulating personally desired unhealthy, energy-dense foods would be associated with self-reported craving for and consumption of unhealthy foods at baseline were not supported by the data. Instead, regression models controlling for age, sex, and BMI demonstrated that brain activity across several regions measured while individuals were regulating their desires for unhealthy food was associated with the self-reported craving for and consumption of healthy food. The hypothesis that vmPFC activity would predict patterns of healthier eating was also not supported. Instead, linear mixed models controlling for baseline age and sex, as well as changes in BMI, revealed that more regulation-related activity in the dlPFC, dACC, IFG, and vmPFC at baseline predicted decreases in the craving for and consumption of healthy foods over the course of 6 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R Giuliani
- Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Danielle Cosme
- Communication Neuroscience Lab, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Junaid S Merchant
- Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Bryce Dirks
- Brain Connectivity and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Elliot T Berkman
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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20
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Han P, Chen H, Hummel T. Brain Responses to Food Odors Associated With BMI Change at 2-Year Follow-Up. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:574148. [PMID: 33132885 PMCID: PMC7578765 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.574148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The understanding of food cue associated neural activations that predict future weight variability may guide the design of effective prevention programs and treatments for overeating and obesity. The current study investigated the association between brain response to different food odors with varied energy density and individual changes of body mass index (BMI) over 2 years. Twenty-five participants received high-fat (chocolate and peanut), low-fat (bread and peach) food odors, and a nonfood odor (rose) while the brain activation was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). BMIs were calculated with participant’s self-reported body weight and height collected at the time of the fMRI scan and again at 2 years later. Regression analyses revealed significant negative correlations between BMI increase over 2 years and brain activation of the bilateral precuneus and the right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in response to high-fat vs. low-fat food odors. Also, brain activation of the right supplementary motor area (SMA) in response to food vs. non-food odor was negatively correlated to subsequent BMI increase over 2 years. Taken together, the current findings suggest that individual differences in neural responsivity to (high calorie) food odors in brain regions of the default mode and motor control network serve as a neural marker for future BMI change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Han
- The Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Interdisciplinary Center Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- *Correspondence: Pengfei Han
| | - Hong Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Center Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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21
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Motoki K, Suzuki S. Extrinsic Factors Underlying Food Valuation in the Human Brain. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:131. [PMID: 32848655 PMCID: PMC7396671 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Subjective values for food rewards guide our dietary choices. There is growing evidence that value signals are constructed in the brain by integrating multiple types of information about flavor, taste, and nutritional attributes of the foods. However, much less is known about the influence of food-extrinsic factors such as labels, brands, prices, and packaging designs. In this mini-review article, we outline recent findings in decision neuroscience, consumer psychology, and food science about the effect of extrinsic factors on food value computations in the human brain. To date, studies have demonstrated that, while the integrated value signal is encoded in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, information on the extrinsic factors of the food is encoded in diverse brain regions previously implicated in a wide range of functions: cognitive control, memory, emotion and reward processing. We suggest that a comprehensive understanding of food valuation requires elucidation of the mechanisms behind integrating extrinsic factors in the brain to compute an overall subjective value signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Motoki
- Department of Food Management, School of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Miyagi University, Sendai, Japan.,Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Suzuki
- Brain, Mind and Markets Laboratory, Department of Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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22
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Franssen S, Jansen A, Schyns G, van den Akker K, Roefs A. Neural Correlates of Food Cue Exposure Intervention for Obesity: A Case-Series Approach. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:46. [PMID: 32372924 PMCID: PMC7187770 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background People with overweight have stronger reactivity (e.g., subjective craving) to food cues than lean people, and this reactivity is positively associated with food intake. Cue reactivity is a learned response that can be reduced with food cue exposure therapy. Objectives It was hypothesized that participants after food cue exposure therapy would show reduced neural activity in brain regions related to food cue reactivity and increased neural activity in brain regions related to inhibitory-control as compared to participants receiving a control lifestyle intervention. Method Neural activity of 10 women with overweight (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) in response to individually tailored visually presented palatable high-caloric food stimuli was examined before vs. after a cue exposure intervention (n = 5) or a control lifestyle (n = 5) intervention. Data were analyzed case-by-case. Results Neural responses to food stimuli were reduced in food-cue-reactivity-related brain regions after the lifestyle intervention in most participants, and generally not after the cue exposure therapy. Moreover, cue exposure did not lead to increased activity in inhibitory-control-related brain regions. However, decreased neural activity after cue exposure was found in most participants in the lateral occipital complex (LOC), which suggests a decreased visual salience of high-caloric food stimuli. Conclusion Receiving a cue exposure therapy did not lead to expected neural responses. As cue exposure relies on inhibitory learning mechanisms, differences in contexts (e.g., environments and food types) between the intervention setting and the scanning sessions may explain the general lack of effect of cue-exposure on neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sieske Franssen
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anita Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ghislaine Schyns
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Karolien van den Akker
- 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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23
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Gearhardt AN, Yokum S, Harris JL, Epstein LH, Lumeng JC. Neural response to fast food commercials in adolescents predicts intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2020; 111:493-502. [PMID: 31940031 PMCID: PMC7049532 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food advertising is a major contributor to obesity, and fast food (FF) restaurants are top advertisers. Research on the impact of food advertising in adolescents is lacking and no prior research has investigated neural predictors of food intake in adolescents. Neural systems implicated in reward could be key to understanding how food advertising drives food intake. OBJECTIVES To investigate how neural responses to both unhealthy and healthier FF commercials predict food intake in adolescents. METHODS A cross-sectional sample of 171 adolescents (aged 13-16 y) who ranged from normal weight to obese completed an fMRI paradigm where they viewed unhealthy and healthier FF and nonfood commercials. Adolescents then consumed a meal in a simulated FF restaurant where foods of varying nutritional profiles (unhealthy compared with healthier) were available. RESULTS Greater neural activation in reward-related regions (nucleus accumbens, r = 0.29; caudate nucleus, r = 0.27) to unhealthy FF commercials predicted greater total food intake. Greater responses to healthier FF relative to nonfood commercials in regions associated with reward (i.e., nucleus accumbens, r = 0.24), memory (i.e., hippocampus, r = 0.32), and sensorimotor processes (i.e., anterior cerebellum, r = 0.33) predicted greater total food and unhealthier food intake, but not healthier food intake. Lower activation in neural regions associated with visual attention and salience (e.g., precuneus, r = -0.35) to unhealthy relative to healthier FF commercials predicted healthier food intake. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that FF commercials contribute to overeating in adolescents through reward mechanisms. The addition of healthier commercials from FF restaurants is unlikely to encourage healthier food intake, but interventions that reduce the ability of unhealthy FF commercials to capture attention could be beneficial. However, an overall reduction in the amount of FF commercials exposure for adolescents is likely to be the most effective approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Gearhardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Address correspondence to ANG (e-mail: )
| | | | - Jennifer L Harris
- Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Leonard H Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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24
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Food cue recruits increased reward processing and decreased inhibitory control processing in the obese/overweight: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Obes Res Clin Pract 2020; 14:127-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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25
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Martin RE, Silvers JA, Hardi F, Stephano T, Helion C, Insel C, Franz PJ, Ninova E, Lander JP, Mischel W, Casey BJ, Ochsner KN. Longitudinal changes in brain structures related to appetitive reactivity and regulation across development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100675. [PMID: 31279245 PMCID: PMC6969339 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the United States over one-third of the population, including children and adolescents, are overweight or obese. Despite the prevalence of obesity, few studies have examined how food cravings and the ability to regulate them change throughout development. Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge by examining structural brain and behavioral changes associated with regulation of craving across development. In a longitudinal design, individuals ages 6-26 completed two structural scans as well as a behavioral task where they used a cognitive regulatory strategy to decrease the appetitive value of foods. Behaviorally, we found that the ability to regulate craving improved with age. Neurally, improvements in regulatory ability were associated with cortical thinning in medial and lateral prefrontal cortex. We also found that models with cortical thickness measurements and age chosen by a lasso-based variable selection method could predict an individual's regulation behavior better than age and other behavioral factors alone. Additionally, when controlling for age, smaller ventral striatal volumes were associated with higher body mass index and predicted greater increases in weight two years later. Taken together, these results demonstrate a role for structural brain changes in supporting the ability to resist cravings for appetitive foods across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Martin
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Felicia Hardi
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Theodore Stephano
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Chelsea Helion
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Catherine Insel
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Peter J Franz
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Emilia Ninova
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Jared P Lander
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Walter Mischel
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - B J Casey
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Kevin N Ochsner
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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26
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Martin RE, Villanueva Y, Stephano T, Franz PJ, Ochsner KN. Social influence shifts valuation of appetitive cues in early adolescence and adulthood. J Exp Psychol Gen 2018; 147:1521-1530. [PMID: 30272465 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Other people can profoundly affect one's opinions and decisions. In the current study, we compared the effects of peer influence on responses to a primary reward-food-in both young adolescents and adults. Food is critical for survival, and in addition to its rewarding properties, habits and practices surrounding eating are heavily influenced by social and cultural norms. To address the impact of peer influence on food valuations, young adolescents ages 10-14 and young adults ages 18-22 rated the desirability of foods before and after seeing peer opinions about those foods. We then compared the degree to which participants changed their ratings of food desirability as a function of the type of social information received (e.g., peers liking a food more or less than did the participant). We found that all participants' ratings conformed to the peer ratings and that adolescents had less stable valuations across all conditions over time. These results provide evidence for the effectiveness of peer influence in shifting valuations of appetitive stimuli and can inform interventions aimed at improving healthy eating choices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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27
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Cognitive reappraisal of low-calorie food predicts real-world craving and consumption of high- and low-calorie foods in daily life. Appetite 2018; 131:44-52. [PMID: 30176299 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In an increasingly obesogenic environment, an individual's regulatory capacity to pursue nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods over palatable, energy-dense items is essential to maintaining a healthy weight and preventing the detrimental health risks of obesity. Cognitive reappraisal, the process by which one changes the meaning of a stimulus by altering its emotional impact (or in this case, its appetitive value) demonstrates promise as a regulatory strategy to decrease obesogenic food consumption, but little research has directly addressed the relationship between cognitive reappraisal of food cravings and real-world eating behaviors. Additionally, research examining self-regulation of eating has typically focused exclusively on diminishing cravings and consumption of unhealthy, high-calorie foods, rather than examining, in tandem, ways to strengthen (or, up-regulate) cravings for healthier, low-calorie alternatives. In the present study, fifty-seven college aged participants first completed a cognitive reappraisal task in the laboratory in which they practiced regulating their craving responses to high- and low-calorie food items by focusing on the long-term health consequences of repeatedly consuming the pictured foods. Next, for a week following the laboratory session, participants reported daily eating behaviors via ecological momentary assessment. Participants who reported greater up-regulatory success during the reappraisal task also reported increased craving strength for low-calorie foods as well as decreased consumption of high-calorie foods in their daily lives. Greater overall regulation success also predicted more frequent consumption of craved low-calorie foods. These findings substantiate the association between cognitive reappraisal ability and real-world appetitive behaviors, and suggest that future interventions may benefit from specifically targeting individuals' evaluations of low-calorie foods.
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