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Fuchs BA, Pearce AL, Rolls BJ, Wilson SJ, Rose EJ, Geier CF, Keller KL. Does 'portion size' matter? Brain responses to food and non-food cues presented in varying amounts. Appetite 2024; 196:107289. [PMID: 38423300 PMCID: PMC10948287 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107289] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Larger portions of food elicit greater intake than smaller portions of food, particularly when foods are high in energy density (kcal/g; ED). The neural mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. The present study used fMRI to assess brain activation to food (higher-ED, lower-ED) and non-food (office supplies) images presented in larger and smaller (i.e., age-appropriate) amounts in 61, 7-8-year-olds (29 male, 32 female) without obesity. Larger amounts of food increased activation in bilateral visual and right parahippocampal areas compared to smaller amounts; greater activation to food amount (larger > smaller) in this cluster was associated with smaller increases in food intake as portions increased. Activation to amount (larger > smaller) was stronger for food than office supplies in primary and secondary visual areas, but, for office supplies only, extended into bilateral parahippocampus, inferior parietal cortex, and additional visual areas (e.g., V7). Activation was greater for higher-vs. lower-ED food images in ventromedial prefrontal cortex for both larger and smaller amounts of food; however, this activation extended into left lateral orbital frontal cortex for smaller amounts only. Activation to food cues did not differ by familial risk for obesity. These results highlight potentially distinct neural pathways for encoding food energy content and quantity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bari A Fuchs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Alaina L Pearce
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Barbara J Rolls
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Stephen J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Emma Jane Rose
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kathleen L Keller
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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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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Cunningham PM, Roe LS, Pearce AL, Keller KL, Rolls BJ. Poorer inhibitory control was related to greater food intake across meals varying in portion size: A randomized crossover trial. Appetite 2024; 194:107168. [PMID: 38104634 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Individuals eat more food when larger portions are served, and this portion size effect could be influenced by inhibitory control (the ability to suppress an automatic response). Inhibitory control may also relate to obesogenic meal behaviors such as eating faster, taking larger bites, and frequent switching between meal components (such as bites of food and sips of water). In a randomized crossover design, 44 adults ate lunch four times in the laboratory. Lunch consisted of a pasta dish that was varied in portion size (400, 500, 600, or 700 g) along with 700 g of water. Meals were video-recorded to assess meal duration and bite and sip counts, which were used to determine mean eating rate (g/min), mean bite size (g/bite), and number of switches between bites and sips. Participants completed a food-specific stop-signal task, which was used to calculate Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT). Across participants, SSRT values ranged from 143 to 306 msec, where greater SSRT indicates poorer inhibitory control. As expected, serving larger portions increased meal intake (p < 0.0001); compared to the smallest portion, intake of the largest increased by 121 ± 17 g (mean ± SEM). SSRT did not moderate the portion size effect (p = 0.34), but individuals with poorer inhibitory control ate more across all meals: 24 ± 11 g for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.035). SSRT was not related to eating rate or bite size (both p > 0.13), but poorer inhibitory control predicted greater switching between bites and sips, such that 1.5 ± 0.7 more switches were made during meals for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.03). These findings indicate that inhibitory control can contribute to overconsumption across meals varying in portion size, potentially in part by promoting switching behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige M Cunningham
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Liane S Roe
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Alaina L Pearce
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen L Keller
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Barbara J Rolls
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Dąbkowska-Mika A, Steiger R, Gander M, Haid-Stecher N, Fuchs M, Sevecke K, Gizewski ER. Evaluation of visual food stimuli paradigms on healthy adolescents for future use in fMRI studies in anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:35. [PMID: 36879292 PMCID: PMC9987124 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00761-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mostly, visual food stimuli paradigms for functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging are used in studies of eating disorders. However, the optimal contrasts and presentation modes are still under discussion. Therefore, we aimed to create and analyse a visual stimulation paradigm with defined contrast. METHODS In this prospective study, a block-design fMRI paradigm with conditions of randomly altering blocks of high- and low-calorie food images and images of fixation cross was established. Food pictures were rated in advance by a group of patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa to address the dedicated perception of patients with eating disorders. To optimize the scanning procedure and fMRI contrasts we have analysed neural activity differences between high-calorie stimuli versus baseline (H vs. X), low-calorie stimuli versus baseline (L vs. X) and high- versus low-calorie stimuli (H vs. L). RESULTS By employing the developed paradigm, we were able to obtain results comparable to other studies and analysed them with different contrasts. Implementation of the contrast H versus X led to increased blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal (BOLD) mainly in unspecific areas, such as the visual cortex, the Broca´s area, bilaterally in the premotor cortex and the supplementary motor area, but also in thalami, insulae, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left amygdala, the left putamen (p < .05). When applying the contrast L versus X, an enhancement of the BOLD signal was detected similarly within the visual area, the right temporal pole, the right precentral gyrus, Broca´s area, left insula, left hippocampus, the left parahippocampal gyrus, bilaterally premotor cortex and thalami (p < .05). Comparison of brain reactions regarding visual stimuli (high- versus low-calorie food), assumed to be more relevant in eating disorders, resulted in bilateral enhancement of the BOLD signal in primary, secondary and associative visual cortex (including fusiform gyri), as well as angular gyri (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS A carefully designed paradigm, based on the subject's characteristics, can increase the reliability of the fMRI study, and may reveal specific brain activations elicited by this custom-built stimuli. However, a putative disadvantage of implementing the contrast of high- versus low-calorie stimuli might be the omission of some interesting outcomes due to lower statistical power. Trial registration NCT02980120.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Dąbkowska-Mika
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.,Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ruth Steiger
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. .,Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Manuela Gander
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Tirol Kliniken, Milserstrasse 10, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Nina Haid-Stecher
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Tirol Kliniken, Milserstrasse 10, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Martin Fuchs
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Tirol Kliniken, Milserstrasse 10, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Kathrin Sevecke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Tirol Kliniken, Milserstrasse 10, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Elke Ruth Gizewski
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.,Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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Carnell S, Benson L, Papantoni A, Chen L, Huo Y, Wang Z, Peterson BS, Geliebter A. Obesity and acute stress modulate appetite and neural responses in food word reactivity task. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271915. [PMID: 36170275 PMCID: PMC9518890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity can result from excess intake in response to environmental food cues, and stress can drive greater intake and body weight. We used a novel fMRI task to explore how obesity and stress influenced appetitive responses to relatively minimal food cues (words representing food items, presented similarly to a chalkboard menu). Twenty-nine adults (16F, 13M), 17 of whom had obesity and 12 of whom were lean, completed two fMRI scans, one following a combined social and physiological stressor and the other following a control task. A food word reactivity task assessed subjective food approach (wanting) as well as food avoidant (restraint) responses, along with neural responses, to words denoting high energy-density (ED) foods, low-ED foods, and non-foods. A multi-item ad-libitum meal followed each scan. The obese and lean groups demonstrated differences as well as similarities in activation of appetitive and attention/self-regulation systems in response to food vs. non-food, and to high-ED vs. low-ED food words. Patterns of activation were largely similar across stress and non-stress conditions, with some evidence for differences between conditions within both obese and lean groups. The obese group ate more than the lean group in both conditions. Our results suggest that neural responses to minimal food cues in stressed and non-stressed states may contribute to excess consumption and adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Carnell
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Leora Benson
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Afroditi Papantoni
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Liuyi Chen
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Yuankai Huo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zhishun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Department of Psychiatry at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Allan Geliebter
- Mt Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
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Aqeel M, Rehna T, Shuja KH, Abbas J. Comparison of Students' Mental Wellbeing, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life During COVID-19's Full and Partial (Smart) Lockdowns: A Follow-Up Study at a 5-Month Interval. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:835585. [PMID: 35530024 PMCID: PMC9067378 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.835585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Scholars have debated the COVID-19's full and partial lockdowns' effectivity to control the transmission of the new case. They emphasized the provision of required economic and social resources worldwide. Past literature related to COVID-19 has contributed little evidence to examine the efficacy of full and partial lockdown measures with experimental perspectives at different intervals. This study bridges this literature gap and explores the full and smart lockdowns' impacts on Pakistani students' mental health, depression, quality of life, and anxiety symptoms, during the various waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method This pretest and posttest experimental designed web-based survey recruited 40 students from March 23 to August 23, 2020, and recorded their responses. The study incorporated four standardized psychological instruments to receive the desired datasets related to students' mental health, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Researchers shared data links with the participants via social media, WhatsApp. The study applied one-way and multivariate ANOVA tests (analysis of variance) to draw the desired results. Results This study's findings suggest that both full and partial COVID-19 lockdowns effectively improve students' mental health and quality of life. These measures help reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms among university students. The study results exhibit that partial lockdown (PL) is more effective in improving quality of life. Besides, PL helps reduce anxiety symptoms than complete lockdown among Pakistani students. Conclusion The present study's findings suggest that students are vulnerable. They need particular interventions and preventive measures to protect and improve their mental health and quality of life during a global pandemic. As the stressful experience of the epidemic persists in Pakistan. It will also be interesting to examine the psychological impact of the successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aqeel
- Foundation University Islamabad, Rawalpindi Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Tasnim Rehna
- National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Jaffar Abbas
- School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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