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Brassard SL, Liu H, Dosanjh J, MacKillop J, Balodis I. Neurobiological foundations and clinical relevance of effort-based decision-making. Brain Imaging Behav 2024:10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x. [PMID: 38819540 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Applying effort-based decision-making tasks provides insights into specific variables influencing choice behaviors. The current review summarizes the structural and functional neuroanatomy of effort-based decision-making. Across 39 examined studies, the review highlights the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in forming reward-based predictions, the ventral striatum encoding expected subjective values driven by reward size, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex for monitoring choices to maximize rewards, and specific motor areas preparing for effort expenditure. Neuromodulation techniques, along with shifting environmental and internal states, are promising novel treatment interventions for altering neural alterations underlying decision-making. Our review further articulates the translational promise of this construct into the development, maintenance and treatment of psychiatric conditions, particularly those characterized by reward-, effort- and valuation-related deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Brassard
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Hanson Liu
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jadyn Dosanjh
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Iris Balodis
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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2
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Isıklı S, Bahtiyar G, Zorlu N, Düsmez S, Bağcı B, Bayrakcı A, Heinz A, Sebold M. Reduced sensitivity but intact motivation to monetary rewards and reversal learning in obesity. Addict Behav 2023; 140:107599. [PMID: 36621043 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107599] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity has been linked to altered reward processing but little is known about which components of reward processing including motivation, sensitivity and learning are impaired in obesity. We examined whether obesity compared to healthy weight controls is associated with differences in distinct subdomains of reward processing. To this end, we used two established paradigms, namely the Effort Expenditure for Rewards task (EEfRT) and the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT). METHODS 30 individuals with obesity (OBS) and 30 healthy weight control subjects (HC) were included in the study. Generalized estimating equation models were used to analyze EEfRT choice behavior. PRLT data was analyzed using both conventional behavioral variables of choices and computational models. RESULTS Our findings from the different tasks speak in favor of a hyposensitivity to non-food rewards in obesity. OBS did not make fewer overall hard task selections compared to HC in the EEfRT suggesting generally intact non-food reward motivation. However, in highly rewarding trials (i.e.,trials with high reward magnitude and high reward probability),OBSmadefewer hard task selections compared to normal weight subjects suggesting decreased sensitivity to highly rewarding non-food reinforcers. Hyposensitivity to non-food rewards was also evident in OBS in the PRLT as evidenced by lower win-stay probability compared to HC. Our computational modelling analyses revealed decreased stochasticity but intact reward and punishment learning rates in OBS. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide evidence for intact reward motivation and learning in OBS but lower reward sensitivity which is linked to stochasticity of choices in a non-food context. These findings might provide further insight into the mechanism underlying dysfunctional choices in obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serhan Isıklı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Nabi Zorlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Selin Düsmez
- Department of Psychiatry, Midyat State Hospital, Turkey
| | - Başak Bağcı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Adem Bayrakcı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Business and Law, Aschaffenburg University of applied sciences, Aschaffenburg, Germany.
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3
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Zapparoli L, Devoto F, Giannini G, Zonca S, Gallo F, Paulesu E. Neural structural abnormalities behind altered brain activation in obesity: Evidence from meta-analyses of brain activation and morphometric data. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103179. [PMID: 36088842 PMCID: PMC9474923 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Obesity represents a risk factor for disability with a major bearing on life expectancy. Neuroimaging techniques are contributing to clarify its neurobiological underpinnings. Here, we explored whether structural brain abnormalities might accompany altered brain activations in obesity. We combined and compared data from brain activation studies for food stimuli and the data reported in structural voxel-based morphometry studies. We found that obese individuals have reduced grey matter density and functional activations in the thalamus and midbrain. A functional connectivity analysis based on these two clusters and its quantitative decoding showed that these regions are part of the reward system functional brain network. Moreover, we found specific grey matter hypo-densities in prefrontal cortex for the obese subjects, regions involved in controlled behaviour. These results support theories of obesity that point to reduced bottom-up reward processes (i.e., the Reward Deficit Theory), but also top-down theories postulating a deficit in cognitive control (i.e., the Inhibitory Control Deficit Theory). The same results also warrant a more systematic exploration of obesity whereby the reward of food and the intentional control over consummatory behaviour is manipulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Zapparoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy,Corresponding authors.
| | - Francantonio Devoto
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannini
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Zonca
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Gallo
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi – Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
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4
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Dan O, Wertheimer E, Levy I. A Neuroeconomics Approach to Obesity. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:860-868. [PMID: 34861975 PMCID: PMC8960474 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is a heterogeneous condition that is affected by physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors. Value-based decision making is a useful framework for integrating these factors at the individual level. The disciplines of behavioral economics and reinforcement learning provide tools for identifying specific cognitive and motivational processes that may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity. Neuroeconomics complements these disciplines by studying the neural mechanisms underlying these processes. We surveyed recent literature on individual decision characteristics that are most frequently implicated in obesity: discounting the value of future outcomes, attitudes toward uncertainty, and learning from rewards and punishments. Our survey highlighted both consistent and inconsistent behavioral findings. These findings underscore the need to examine multiple processes within individuals to identify unique behavioral profiles associated with obesity. Such individual characterization will inform future studies on the neurobiology of obesity as well as the design of effective interventions that are individually tailored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Dan
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University,Wu-Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Emily Wertheimer
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University,Wu-Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Ifat Levy
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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5
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Effects of Episodic Future Thinking on Delay and Effort Discounting. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40732-022-00516-y] [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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6
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Li L, Yu H, Zhong M, Liu S, Wei W, Meng Y, Li ML, Li T, Wang Q. Gray matter volume alterations in subjects with overweight and obesity: Evidence from a voxel-based meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:955741. [PMID: 36226110 PMCID: PMC9548618 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.955741] [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: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is a multi-systemic disease with complex etiology. And consistent evidence indicated obesity or overweight subjects render brain structure changes. Increasing evidence indicates these subjects have shown widespread structural brain gray matter volume (GMV) changes. However, results from other neuroimaging studies have been inconsistent. Consequently, the question remains whether body mass index (BMI), a gold standard to define obesity/overweight, is associated with brain structural changes. METHODS This study will apply an updated meta-analysis of voxel-based GMV studies to compare GMV changes in overweight and obese subjects. Online databases were used to build on relevant studies published before May 2022. The updated Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI) explores GMV changes in individuals with overweight and obesity and further examines the correlation between GMV and obesity-related variables, specifically body mass index (BMI). RESULTS This research included fourteen studies and provided a whole-brain analysis of GMV distribution in overweight and obese individuals. It revealed lower GMV in brain regions, including the left putamen and right precentral gyrus, in individuals with overweight and obesity compared to lean controls. Further, meta-regression analyses revealed GMV in the left middle occipital gyrus was negatively correlated with the BMI of the whole sample. CONCLUSION GMV decreased was reported in reward circuit processing areas and sensorimotor processing areas of individuals with overweight and obesity diagnoses, suggesting an underlying structural basis for reward processing and sensorimotor processing dysregulation in overweight and obese subjects. Our results also suggest that GMV in occipital gyrus, a key region for food visual and gustatory encoding, is negatively associated with BMI. These results provide further evidence for the dysregulated reward circuit in individuals with overweight and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Yu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Zhong
- Department of Sport and Health Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Siyi Liu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajing Meng
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming-Li Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, China
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7
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Gómez-Apo E, Mondragón-Maya A, Ferrari-Díaz M, Silva-Pereyra J. Structural Brain Changes Associated with Overweight and Obesity. J Obes 2021; 2021:6613385. [PMID: 34327017 PMCID: PMC8302366 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6613385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a global health problem with a broad set of comorbidities, such as malnutrition, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, systemic hypertension, heart failure, and kidney failure. This review describes recent findings of neuroimaging and two studies of cell density regarding the roles of overnutrition-induced hypothalamic inflammation in neurodegeneration. These studies provided consistent evidence of smaller cortical thickness or reduction in the gray matter volume in people with overweight and obesity; however, the investigated brain regions varied across the studies. In general, bilateral frontal and temporal areas, basal nuclei, and cerebellum are more commonly involved. Mechanisms of volume reduction are unknown, and neuroinflammation caused by obesity is likely to induce neuronal loss. Adipocytes, macrophages of the adipose tissue, and gut dysbiosis in overweight and obese individuals result in the secretion of the cytokines and chemokines that cross the blood-brain barrier and may stimulate microglia, which in turn also release proinflammatory cytokines. This leads to chronic low-grade neuroinflammation and may be an important factor for apoptotic signaling and neuronal death. Additionally, significant microangiopathy observed in rat models may be another important mechanism of induction of apoptosis. Neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases) may be similar to that in metabolic diseases induced by malnutrition. Poor cognitive performance, mainly in executive functions, in individuals with obesity is also discussed. This review highlights the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms linked to obesity and emphasizes the importance of developing effective prevention and treatment intervention strategies for overweight and obese individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Gómez-Apo
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital General de México “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Mondragón-Maya
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Mexico
| | - Martina Ferrari-Díaz
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Mexico
| | - Juan Silva-Pereyra
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Mexico
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8
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Chen EY, Eickhoff SB, Giovannetti T, Smith DV. Obesity is associated with reduced orbitofrontal cortex volume: A coordinate-based meta-analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102420. [PMID: 32961404 PMCID: PMC7509458 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neural models of obesity vary in their focus upon prefrontal and striatal differences. Animal and human studies suggest that differential functioning of the orbitofrontal cortex is associated with obesity. However, meta-analyses of functional neuroimaging studies have not found a clear relationship between the orbitofrontal cortex and obesity. Meta-analyses of structural imaging studies of obesity have shown mixed findings with regards to an association with reduced orbitofrontal cortex gray matter volume. To clarify these findings, we conducted a meta-analysis of 25 voxel-based morphometry studies, and found that greater body mass index is associated with decreased gray matter volume in the right orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmanns' areas 10 and 11), where family-wise corrected p < .05, N = 7,612. Use of the right orbitofrontal cortex as a seed in a Neurosynth Network Coactivation analysis showed that this region is associated with activity in the left frontal medial cortex, left temporal lobe, right precuneus cortex, posterior division of the left middle temporal gyrus, and right frontal pole. When Neurosynth Network Coactivation results were submitted as regions of interest in the Human Connectome Project data, we found that greater body mass index was associated with greater activity in left frontal medial cortex response to the Gambling Task, where p < .05, although this did not survive Bonferroni-correction. Our findings highlight the importance of the orbitofrontal cortex structure and functioning in neural models of obesity. Exploratory analyses suggest more studies are needed that examine the functional significance of reduced orbitofrontal cortex gray matter volume in obesity, and the effect of age and weight changes on this relationship using longitudinal designs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
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9
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Lost in Translation? On the Need for Convergence in Animal and
Human Studies on the Role of Dopamine in Diet-Induced Obesity. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-019-00268-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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10
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Herrmann MJ, Tesar AK, Beier J, Berg M, Warrings B. Grey matter alterations in obesity: A meta-analysis of whole-brain studies. Obes Rev 2019; 20:464-471. [PMID: 30537231 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a major problem in the modern world causing a higher risk for various cerebrovascular diseases causing a profound individual and societal burden. The neurobiological foundation bears potential to understand the complex interaction of individual differences in brain structure and function and ingestive behaviour. This systematic review was performed on the current evidence of structural abnormalities in grey matter volume (GMV) in patients with obesity based on studies published until December 2017, which were selected through search in PubMed, CENTER (Cochrane Library), PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE. Ten studies were included; all of them included patients with obesity and provided a whole-brain analysis of grey matter (GM) distribution. Our findings confirmed the most consistent GM reductions in patients with obesity in the left, middle, and right inferior frontal gyrus (including the insula), the left middle temporal cortex, the left precentral gyrus, and the cerebellum. On the other hand, increased GMV in patients with obesity were found in the left cuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus, and corpus callosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Herrmann
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Katrin Tesar
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Beier
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Max Berg
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bodo Warrings
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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11
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Aridan N, Malecek NJ, Poldrack RA, Schonberg T. Neural correlates of effort-based valuation with prospective choices. Neuroimage 2019; 185:446-454. [PMID: 30347281 PMCID: PMC6289638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How is effort integrated in value-based decision-making? Animal models and human neuroimaging studies primarily linked the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and ventral striatum (VS) to the integration of effort in valuation. Other studies demonstrated the role of these regions in invigoration to effort demands, thus it is hard to separate the neural activity linked to anticipation and subjective valuation from actual performance. Here, we studied the neural basis of effort valuation separated from performance. We scanned forty participants with fMRI, while they were asked to accept or reject monetary gambles that could be resolved with future performance of a familiar grip force effort challenge or a fixed risk prospect. Participants' willingness to accept prospective gambles reflected discounting of values by physical effort and risk. Choice-locked neural activation in contralateral primary sensory cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) tracked the magnitude of prospective effort the participants faced, independent of choice time and monetary stakes. Estimates of subjective value discounted by effort were found to be tracked by the activation of a network of regions common to valuation under risk and delay, including vmPFC, VS and sensorimotor cortex. Together, our findings show separate neural mechanisms underlying prospective effort and actual effort performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Aridan
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Nicholas J Malecek
- Imaging Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th St, Stop R9975, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Russell A Poldrack
- Imaging Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th St, Stop R9975, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Bldg. 420, Jordan Hall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Tom Schonberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel; Imaging Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th St, Stop R9975, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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12
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Expression of dopamine signaling genes in the post-mortem brain of individuals with mental illnesses is moderated by body mass index and mediated by insulin signaling genes. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 107:128-135. [PMID: 30391805 PMCID: PMC6278951 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical studies implicate insulin signaling as a modulator of dopamine transmission, but human data is currently limited. We hypothesize that changes in the expression of insulin receptor-related genes in the post-mortem brain tissue of patients with mood and psychotic disorders mediate the expression of dopamine regulation-related genes. From a database containing microarray data from the post-mortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) (healthy controls [HC]: n = 209; patients: n = 321) and hippocampus (HC: n = 180; patients: n = 196), we conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis through the a priori selection of 12 dopamine- and 3 insulin-related genes. Mediation and moderated mediation models, accounting for the role of body mass index (BMI), were used. In the dlPFC, expressions of insulin receptor- and dopamine regulation-related genes were moderated by BMI, with significantly lower expression in high BMI patients. In the hippocampus, there were significantly lower expressions of these genes, which were not moderated by BMI. Illnesses by BMI effects on expression of dopamine genes were fully mediated by expression of insulin receptor gene (INSR). Analysis of conditional indirect effects showed interactions between INSR and BMI, indicating significantly stronger indirect effects at higher BMI values. In the hippocampus we observed that expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 and 2 fully mediated the effects of illnesses on expression of dopamine genes. In conclusion, differential expression of dopamine-related genes was related to altered expression of insulin signaling genes. BMI had region-specific effects, supporting the hypothesis that metabolic systems are critical mediators of dopaminergic function.
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13
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Pageaux B, Gaveau J. Studies using pharmacological blockade of muscle afferents provide new insights into the neurophysiology of perceived exertion. J Physiol 2018; 594:5049-51. [PMID: 27629079 DOI: 10.1113/jp272585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Pageaux
- CAPS UMR1093, INSERM, Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France.
| | - Jeremie Gaveau
- CAPS UMR1093, INSERM, Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
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14
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Kastner L, Kube J, Villringer A, Neumann J. Cardiac Concomitants of Feedback and Prediction Error Processing in Reinforcement Learning. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:598. [PMID: 29163004 PMCID: PMC5670147 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful learning hinges on the evaluation of positive and negative feedback. We assessed differential learning from reward and punishment in a monetary reinforcement learning paradigm, together with cardiac concomitants of positive and negative feedback processing. On the behavioral level, learning from reward resulted in more advantageous behavior than learning from punishment, suggesting a differential impact of reward and punishment on successful feedback-based learning. On the autonomic level, learning and feedback processing were closely mirrored by phasic cardiac responses on a trial-by-trial basis: (1) Negative feedback was accompanied by faster and prolonged heart rate deceleration compared to positive feedback. (2) Cardiac responses shifted from feedback presentation at the beginning of learning to stimulus presentation later on. (3) Most importantly, the strength of phasic cardiac responses to the presentation of feedback correlated with the strength of prediction error signals that alert the learner to the necessity for behavioral adaptation. Considering participants' weight status and gender revealed obesity-related deficits in learning to avoid negative consequences and less consistent behavioral adaptation in women compared to men. In sum, our results provide strong new evidence for the notion that during learning phasic cardiac responses reflect an internal value and feedback monitoring system that is sensitive to the violation of performance-based expectations. Moreover, inter-individual differences in weight status and gender may affect both behavioral and autonomic responses in reinforcement-based learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Kastner
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Kube
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty 5-Business, Law and Social Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Mind and Brain Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jane Neumann
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Medical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany
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15
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Horstmann A. It wasn't me; it was my brain – Obesity-associated characteristics of brain circuits governing decision-making. Physiol Behav 2017; 176:125-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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16
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Sheng B, Feng C, Zhang D, Spitler H, Shi L. Associations between Obesity and Spinal Diseases: A Medical Expenditure Panel Study Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:E183. [PMID: 28208824 PMCID: PMC5334737 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14020183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: The link between body weight status and spinal diseases has been suggested by a number of cross-sectional and cohort studies with a limited range of patient populations. No population-representative samples have been used to examine the link between obesity and spinal diseases. The present study is based on a nationally representative sample drawn from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Methods: Using the cross-sectional sample of the 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Study, we built four weighted logistic regression analyses of the associations between body weight status and the following four spinal diseases: low back pain, spondylosis, other cervical disorders and intervertebral disc disorder (IDD). Each respondent's body weight status was used as the key independent variable with three categories: normal/underweight, overweight, and obese. We controlled for marital status, gender, age, smoking status, household income, health insurance coverage, educational attainment and the use of health services for other major categories of diseases. Results: A total sample of 23,048 respondents was used in our analysis. Overweight and obese respondents, as compared to normal/underweight respondents, were more likely to develop lower back problems (Overweight: logged odds = 0.218, p < 0.01; Obese: logged odds = 0.395, p < 0.001) and IDD (Overweight: logged odds = 0.441, p < 0.05; Obese: logged odds = 0.528, p < 0.001). The associations between bodyweight status and spondylitis were statistically insignificant (Overweight: logged odds = 0.281, p = 0.442; Obese: logged odds = 0.680, p = 0.104). The associations between body weight status and other cervical disorders (Overweight: logged odds = -0.116, p = 0.304; Obese: logged odds = -0.160, p = 0.865) were statistically insignificant. Conclusions: As the first study using a national sample to study bodyweight and spinal diseases, our paper supports the hypothesis that obesity adds to the burden of low back pain and IDD. Longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to understand the specific mechanisms behind these positive associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binwu Sheng
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
| | - Chaoling Feng
- Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Donglan Zhang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30609, USA.
| | - Hugh Spitler
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA.
| | - Lu Shi
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA.
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17
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Mühlberg C, Mathar D, Villringer A, Horstmann A, Neumann J. Stopping at the sight of food - How gender and obesity impact on response inhibition. Appetite 2016; 107:663-676. [PMID: 27592420 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent research indicates that reduced inhibitory control is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), higher food craving and increased food intake. However, experimental evidence for the relationship between response inhibition and weight status is inconsistent and to date has been investigated predominantly in women. In the current study, 56 participants (26 obese, 30 lean; 27 female, 29 male) performed a Food Picture Rating Task followed by a Stop Signal Task where pictures of palatable high or low caloric food or non-food items were presented prior to the Go signal. We further assessed participants' self-reported eating behavior and trait impulsivity as potential factors influencing response inhibition, in particular within the food context. Independent of BMI, women showed significantly higher liking for low caloric food items than men. This was accompanied by shorter Stop Signal Reaction Times (SSRT) after high compared to low caloric food pictures for women, and shorter SSRT in women compared to men for high caloric food. No influence of gender on SSRT was observable outside of the food context. While SSRTs did not differ between obese and lean participants across the three picture categories, we found a moderating effect of trait impulsivity on the relationship between BMI and SSRT, specifically in the high caloric food context. Higher BMI was predictive of longer SSRT only for participants with low to normal trait impulsivity, pointing at a complex interplay between response inhibition, general impulsivity and weight status. Our results support the notion that individuals with obesity do not suffer from diminished response inhibition capacity per se. Rather, the ability to withhold a response depends on context and social norms, and strongly interacts with factors like gender and trait impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Mühlberg
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany
| | - David Mathar
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany; Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Mind & Brain Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jane Neumann
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany.
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