scholarly journals BDNF influences neural cue-reactivity to food stimuli and food craving in obesity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Malte Bumb ◽  
Patrick Bach ◽  
Martin Grosshans ◽  
Xenija Wagner ◽  
Anne Koopmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cue Reactivity ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Food Craving ◽  
Obese Patients ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Neural Reactivity

AbstractThere is increasing evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) impacts on the development of obesity. We are the first to test the hypothesis that BDNF levels might be associated with neural reactivity to food cues in patients suffering from obesity and healthy controls. We assessed visual food cue-induced neural response in 19 obese patients and 20 matched controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging and analyzed the associations between BDNF levels, food cue-reactivity and food craving. Whole-brain analysis in both groups revealed that food cues elicited higher neural activation in clusters of mesolimbic brain areas including the insula (food > neutral). Patients suffering from obesity showed a significant positive correlation between plasma BDNF levels and visual food cue-reactivity in the bilateral insulae. In addition, patients suffering from obesity with positive food cue-induced insula activation also reported significantly higher food craving than those with low cue-reactivity—an effect that was absent in normal weight participants. The present findings implicate that BDNF levels in patients suffering from obesity might be involved in food craving and obesity in humans. This highlights the importance to consider BDNF pathways when investigating obesity and obesity treatment.

scholarly journals Increased neural reactivity to emotional pictures in men with high hair testosterone concentrations

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1009-1016
Author(s):  
Sanja Klein ◽  
Onno Kruse ◽  
Isabell Tapia León ◽  
Tobias Stalder ◽  
Rudolf Stark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Passive Viewing ◽  
Emotional Pictures ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Testosterone has been linked to alterations in the activity of emotion neurocircuitry including amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and insula and diminished functional amygdala/prefrontal coupling. Such associations have only ever been studied using acute measures of testosterone, thus little is known about respective relationships with long-term testosterone secretion. Here, we examine associations between hair testosterone concentration (HTC), an index of long-term cumulative testosterone levels and neural reactivity during an emotional passive viewing task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Forty-six men viewed negative, positive and neutral pictures in the MRI. HTCs were assessed from 2 cm hair segments. The emotional paradigm elicited neural activation in the amygdala, insula and OFC. HTCs were associated with increased reactivity to negative pictures in the insula and increased reactivity to positive pictures in the OFC. We show an association of long-term testosterone levels with increased emotional reactivity in the brain. These results suggest a heightened emotional vigilance in individuals with high trait testosterone levels.

scholarly journals Beyond static measures: A review of functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy and its potential to investigate dynamic glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 497-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke A Jelen ◽  
Sinead King ◽  
Paul G Mullins ◽  
James M Stone
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Dynamic Measurement ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Glutamate System ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abnormalities of the glutamate system are increasingly implicated in schizophrenia but their exact nature remains unknown. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), while fundamental in revealing glutamatergic alterations in schizophrenia, has, until recently, been significantly limited and thought to only provide static measures. Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS), which uses sequential scans for dynamic measurement of a range of brain metabolites in activated brain areas, has lately been applied to a variety of task or stimulus conditions, producing interesting insights into neurometabolite responses to neural activation. Here, we summarise the existing 1H-MRS studies of brain glutamate in schizophrenia. We then present a comprehensive review of research studies that have utilised fMRS, and lastly consider how fMRS methods might further the understanding of glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Correlation between the Effects of Acupuncture atTaichong(LR3) and Functional Brain Areas: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Using True versus Sham Acupuncture

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunxiao Wu ◽  
Shanshan Qu ◽  
Jiping Zhang ◽  
Junqi Chen ◽  
Shaoqun Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Brain Areas

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been shown to detect the specificity of acupuncture points, as proved by numerous studies. In this study, resting-state fMRI was used to observe brain areas activated by acupuncture at theTaichong(LR3) acupoint. A total of 15 healthy subjects received brain resting-state fMRI before acupuncture and after sham and true acupuncture, respectively, at LR3. Image data processing was performed using Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI and REST software. The combination of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) was used to analyze the changes in brain function during sham and true acupuncture. Acupuncture at LR3 can specifically activate or deactivate brain areas related to vision, movement, sensation, emotion, and analgesia. The specific alterations in the anterior cingulate gyrus, thalamus, and cerebellar posterior lobe have a crucial effect and provide a valuable reference. Sham acupuncture has a certain effect on psychological processes and does not affect brain areas related to function.

scholarly journals Cue-reactivity in the ventral striatum characterizes heavy cannabis use, whereas reactivity in the dorsal striatum mediates dependent use

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinqi Zhou ◽  
Kaeli Zimmermann ◽  
Fei Xin ◽  
Weihua Zhao ◽  
Roelinka Derckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Cue Reactivity ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Trait Impulsivity

AbstractBackgroundAnimal models of addiction suggest that the transition from incentive-driven to habitual and ultimately compulsive drug use is mediated by a shift from ventral to dorsal striatal cue-control over drug seeking. Previous studies in human cannabis users reported elevated trait impulsivity and cue-reactivity in striatal circuits, however, these studies were not able to separate addiction-related from exposure-related adaptations.MethodsTo differentiate the adaptive changes, the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined behavioral and neural cue-reactivity in dependent (n = 18) and non-dependent (n = 20) heavy cannabis users and a non-using reference group (n = 44).ResultsIrrespective of dependence status, cannabis users demonstrated elevated trait impulsivity as well as increased ventral striatal reactivity and striato-frontal coupling in response to drug cues. Dependent users selectively exhibited dorsal-striatal reactivity and decreased striato-limbic coupling during cue-exposure. An exploratory analysis revealed that higher ventral caudate cue-reactivity was associated with stronger cue-induced arousal and craving in dependent users, whereas this pattern was reversed in non-dependent users.ConclusionsTogether the present findings suggest that an incentive sensitization of the ventral striatal reward system may promote excessive drug use in humans, whereas adaptations in dorsal striatal systems engaged in habit formation may promote the transition to addictive use.

scholarly journals Is obesity related to enhanced neural reactivity to visual food cues? A review and meta-analysis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Morys ◽  
Isabel García-García ◽  
Alain Dagher
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cue Reactivity ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Fusiform Gyrus ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Brain Response ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
Food Pictures ◽  
Left Insula

Abstract Theoretical work suggests that obesity is related to enhanced incentive salience of food cues. However, evidence from both behavioral and neuroimaging studies on the topic is mixed. In this work we review the literature on cue reactivity in obesity and perform a preregistered meta-analysis of studies investigating effects of obesity on brain responses to passive food pictures viewing. Further, we examine whether age influences brain responses to food cues in obesity. In the meta-analysis we included 13 studies of children and adults that investigated group differences (obese vs. lean) in responses to food vs. non-food pictures viewing. While we found no significant differences in the overall meta-analysis, we show that age significantly influences brain response differences to food cues in the left insula and the left fusiform gyrus. In the left insula, obese vs. lean brain differences in response to food cues decreased with age, while in the left fusiform gyrus the pattern was opposite. Our results suggest that there is little evidence for obesity-related differences in responses to food cues and that such differences might be mediated by additional factors that are often not considered.

scholarly journals Impact of Panic on Psychophysiological and Neural Reactivity to Unpredictable Threat in Depression and Anxiety

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Lieberman ◽  
Stephanie M. Gorka ◽  
Stewart A. Shankman ◽  
K. Luan Phan
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Core Feature ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
Startle Potentiation ◽  
Threat Of Shock

Exaggerated anxious responding to unpredictable threat (U-threat) is a core feature of panic disorder (PD). However, it is unknown whether this abnormality is specific to the diagnosis of PD or would manifest along a continuum of panic symptomatology (PS). In addition, little is known about the neural processes underlying this abnormality among those high in PS. Finally, no studies have tested whether startle potentiation and limbic neural reactivity—commonly used indices of U-threat responsivity—are associated and therefore reflect common abnormalities. These questions were investigated in 42 adults with a range of PS. U-threat responding was measured twice during threat of shock—once with startle and once with functional magnetic resonance imaging. As hypothesized, PS positively predicted startle potentiation and dACC reactivity to U-threat. Startle potentiation and dACC activation to U-threat were positively associated. These results suggest a biobehavioral profile of aberrant responding to U-threat associated with PS.

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