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Ravichandran S, Sood R, Das I, Dong T, Figueroa JD, Yang J, Finger N, Vaughan A, Vora P, Selvaraj K, Labus JS, Gupta A. Early life adversity impacts alterations in brain structure and food addiction in individuals with high BMI. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13141. [PMID: 38849441 PMCID: PMC11161480 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63414-z] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity and food addiction are associated with distinct brain signatures related to reward processing, and early life adversity (ELA) also increases alterations in these same reward regions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the effect of early life adversity on food addiction are unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the interactions between ELA, food addiction, and brain morphometry in individuals with obesity. 114 participants with high body mass index (BMI) underwent structural MRIs, and completed several questionnaires (e.g., Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Early Traumatic Inventory (ETI)). Freesurfer 6 was applied to generate the morphometry of brain regions. A multivariate pattern analysis was used to derive brain morphometry patterns associated with food addiction. General linear modeling and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the effects of ELA and resilience on food addiction in individuals with obesity. Statistical significance was determined at a level of p < 0.05. High levels of ELA showed a strong association between reward control brain signatures and food addiction (p = 0.03). Resilience positively mediated the effect of ELA on food addiction (B = 0.02, p = 0.038). Our findings suggest that food addiction is associated with brain signatures in motivation and reward processing regions indicative of dopaminergic dysregulation and inhibition of cognitive control regions. These mechanistic variabilities along with early life adversity suggest increased vulnerability to develop food addiction and obesity in adulthood, which can buffer by the neuroprotective effects of resilience, highlighting the value of incorporating cognitive appraisal into obesity therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Ravichandran
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Riya Sood
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Isha Das
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Tien Dong
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Johnny D Figueroa
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Jennifer Yang
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nicholas Finger
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Allison Vaughan
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Priten Vora
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Katie Selvaraj
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer S Labus
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Arpana Gupta
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, The Obesity and Ingestive Behavior Program, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Center for Health Sciences 42-210, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
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Zhang X, Wang H, Kilpatrick LA, Dong TS, Gee GC, Labus JS, Osadchiy V, Beltran-Sanchez H, Wang MC, Vaughan A, Gupta A. Discrimination exposure impacts unhealthy processing of food cues: crosstalk between the brain and gut. NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:841-852. [PMID: 38094040 PMCID: PMC10718506 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00134-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Experiences of discrimination are associated with adverse health outcomes, including obesity. However, the mechanisms by which discrimination leads to obesity remain unclear. Utilizing multi-omics analyses of neuroimaging and fecal metabolites, we investigated the impact of discrimination exposure on brain reactivity to food images and associated dysregulations in the brain-gut-microbiome system. We show that discrimination is associated with increased food-cue reactivity in frontal-striatal regions involved in reward, motivation and executive control; altered glutamate-pathway metabolites involved in oxidative stress and inflammation as well as preference for unhealthy foods. Associations between discrimination-related brain and gut signatures were skewed towards unhealthy sweet foods after adjusting for age, diet, body mass index, race and socioeconomic status. Discrimination, as a stressor, may contribute to enhanced food-cue reactivity and brain-gut-microbiome disruptions that can promote unhealthy eating behaviors, leading to increased risk for obesity. Treatments that normalize these alterations may benefit individuals who experience discrimination-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobei Zhang
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hao Wang
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Lisa A. Kilpatrick
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tien S. Dong
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gilbert C. Gee
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Center for Population Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Labus
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vadim Osadchiy
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Urology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hiram Beltran-Sanchez
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Center for Population Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - May C. Wang
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Allison Vaughan
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arpana Gupta
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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