Alterations in reward network functional connectivity are associated with increased food addiction in obese individuals

AbstractFunctional neuroimaging studies in obesity have identified alterations in the connectivity within the reward network leading to decreased homeostatic control of ingestive behavior. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sex differences in the prevalence of food addiction in obesity is unknown. The aim of the study was to identify functional connectivity alterations associated with: (1) Food addiction, (2) Sex- differences in food addiction, (3) Ingestive behaviors. 150 participants (females: N = 103, males: N = 47; food addiction: N = 40, no food addiction: N = 110) with high BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 underwent functional resting state MRIs. Participants were administered the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), to determine diagnostic criteria for food addiction (YFAS Symptom Count ≥ 3 with clinically significant impairment or distress), and completed ingestive behavior questionnaires. Connectivity differences were analyzed using a general linear model in the CONN Toolbox and images were segmented using the Schaefer 400, Harvard–Oxford Subcortical, and Ascending Arousal Network atlases. Significant connectivities and clinical variables were correlated. Statistical significance was corrected for multiple comparisons at q < .05. (1) Individuals with food addiction had greater connectivity between brainstem regions and the orbital frontal gyrus compared to individuals with no food addiction. (2) Females with food addiction had greater connectivity in the salience and emotional regulation networks and lowered connectivity between the default mode network and central executive network compared to males with food addiction. (3) Increased connectivity between regions of the reward network was positively associated with scores on the General Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait, indicative of greater food cravings in individuals with food addiction. Individuals with food addiction showed greater connectivity between regions of the reward network suggesting dysregulation of the dopaminergic pathway. Additionally, greater connectivity in the locus coeruleus could indicate that the maladaptive food behaviors displayed by individuals with food addiction serve as a coping mechanism in response to pathological anxiety and stress. Sex differences in functional connectivity suggest that females with food addiction engage more in emotional overeating and less cognitive control and homeostatic processing compared to males. These mechanistic pathways may have clinical implications for understanding the sex-dependent variability in response to diet interventions.

Download Full-text

Sa1882 - Sex Differences: Early Life Adversity and Adult Stress are Associated with Alterations in the Extended Reward Network and Increased Food Addiction

Gastroenterology ◽

10.1016/s0016-5085(18)31705-0 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 154 (6) ◽

pp. S-431

Author(s):

Arpana Gupta ◽

Vadim Osadchiy ◽

Jennifer S. Labus ◽

Lisa A. Kilpatrick ◽

Claudia P. Sanmiguel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Early Life ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Early Life Adversity ◽

Reward Network

Download Full-text

The Clinical Utility of Food Addiction: Characteristics and Psychosocial Impairments in a Treatment-Seeking Sample

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12113388 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3388

Author(s):

Edgar Oliveira ◽

Hyoun S. Kim ◽

Emilie Lacroix ◽

Mária de Fátima Vasques ◽

Cristiane Ruiz Durante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Binge Eating ◽

Clinical Utility ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Social Impairment ◽

Self Report ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Comorbid Conditions ◽

Food Cravings ◽

Clinical Interviews ◽

Psychiatric Conditions

Little is known about the characteristics of individuals seeking treatment for food addiction (FA), and the clinical utility of FA has yet to be established. To address these gaps, we examined (i) the demographic, eating pathology, and psychiatric conditions associated with FA and (ii) whether FA is associated with psychosocial impairments when accounting for eating-related and other psychopathology. Forty-six patients seeking treatment for FA completed self-report questionnaires and semi-structured clinical interviews. The majority of the sample were women and self-identified as White, with a mean age of 43 years. Most participants (83.3%) presented with a comorbid psychiatric condition, most commonly anxiety and mood disorders, with a mean of 2.31 comorbid conditions. FA was associated with binge eating severity and anxiety symptoms, as well as psychological, physical, and social impairment. In regression analyses controlling for binge eating severity, food cravings, depression, and anxiety, FA remained a significant predictor only of social impairment. Taken together, the results suggest that individuals seeking treatment for FA are likely to present with significant comorbid conditions, in particular anxiety disorders. The results of the present research provide evidence for the clinical utility of FA, particularly in explaining social impairment.

Download Full-text

Modification of EEG functional connectivity and EEG power spectra in overweight and obese patients with food addiction: An eLORETA study

Brain Imaging and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s11682-014-9324-x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 703-716 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Claudio Imperatori ◽

Mariantonietta Fabbricatore ◽

Marco Innamorati ◽

Benedetto Farina ◽

Maria Isabella Quintiliani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Power Spectra ◽

Obese Patients ◽

Eeg Power Spectra ◽

Eeg Power ◽

Eeg Functional Connectivity

Download Full-text

Clinical and Neurophysiological Correlates of Emotion and Food Craving Regulation in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9040960 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 960 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nuria Mallorquí-Bagué ◽

María Lozano-Madrid ◽

Giulia Testa ◽

Cristina Vintró-Alcaraz ◽

Isabel Sánchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Emotional Dysregulation ◽

Self Report ◽

Food Craving ◽

Task Condition ◽

Positive Potential ◽

Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽

Relevant Task

Background: Difficulties in emotion regulation and craving regulation have been linked to eating symptomatology in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), contributing to the maintenance of their eating disorder. Methods: To investigate clinical and electrophysiological correlates of these processes, 20 patients with AN and 20 healthy controls (HC) completed a computerized task during EEG recording, where they were instructed to down-regulate negative emotions or food craving. Participants also completed self-report measures of emotional regulation and food addiction. The P300 and Late Positive Potential (LPP) ERPs were analysed. Results: LPP amplitudes were significantly smaller during down-regulation of food craving among both groups. Independent of task condition, individuals with AN showed smaller P300 amplitudes compared to HC. Among HC, the self-reported use of re-appraisal strategies positively correlated with LPP amplitudes during emotional regulation task, while suppressive strategies negatively correlated with LPP amplitudes. The AN group, in comparison to the HC group, exhibited greater food addiction, greater use of maladaptive strategies, and emotional dysregulation. Conclusions: Despite the enhanced self-reported psychopathology among AN, both groups indicated neurophysiological evidence of food craving regulation as evidenced by blunted LPP amplitudes in the relevant task condition. Further research is required to delineate the mechanisms associated with reduced overall P300 amplitudes among individuals with AN.

Download Full-text

Impact of prenatal maternal cytokine exposure on sex differences in brain circuitry regulating stress in offspring 45 years later

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2014464118 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 118 (15) ◽

pp. e2014464118

Author(s):

Jill M. Goldstein ◽

Justine E. Cohen ◽

Klara Mareckova ◽

Laura Holsen ◽

Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽

Brain Activity ◽

In Utero ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Hippocampal Activity ◽

Brain Circuitry ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

In Utero Development

Stress is associated with numerous chronic diseases, beginning in fetal development with in utero exposures (prenatal stress) impacting offspring’s risk for disorders later in life. In previous studies, we demonstrated adverse maternal in utero immune activity on sex differences in offspring neurodevelopment at age seven and adult risk for major depression and psychoses. Here, we hypothesized that in utero exposure to maternal proinflammatory cytokines has sex-dependent effects on specific brain circuitry regulating stress and immune function in the offspring that are retained across the lifespan. Using a unique prenatal cohort, we tested this hypothesis in 80 adult offspring, equally divided by sex, followed from in utero development to midlife. Functional MRI results showed that exposure to proinflammatory cytokines in utero was significantly associated with sex differences in brain activity and connectivity during response to negative stressful stimuli 45 y later. Lower maternal TNF-α levels were significantly associated with higher hypothalamic activity in both sexes and higher functional connectivity between hypothalamus and anterior cingulate only in men. Higher prenatal levels of IL-6 were significantly associated with higher hippocampal activity in women alone. When examined in relation to the anti-inflammatory effects of IL-10, the ratio TNF-α:IL-10 was associated with sex-dependent effects on hippocampal activity and functional connectivity with the hypothalamus. Collectively, results suggested that adverse levels of maternal in utero proinflammatory cytokines and the balance of pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokines impact brain development of offspring in a sexually dimorphic manner that persists across the lifespan.

Download Full-text

Survivors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Show Neuropsychiatric Sequelae Measured by Surveys, Neurocognitive Testing, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Preliminary Results

10.1101/2021.08.23.21256078 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Laura M. Hack ◽

Jacob Brawer ◽

Megan Chesnut ◽

Xue Zhang ◽

Max Wintermark ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Functional Neuroimaging ◽

Structure And Function ◽

Self Report ◽

Neurocognitive Testing ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Brain Structure And Function ◽

And Function

AbstractA significant number of individuals experience physical, cognitive, and mental health symptoms in the months after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This study assessed depressive and anxious symptoms, cognition, and brain structure and function in participants with symptomatic COVID-19 confirmed by PCR testing (n=100) approximately three months following infection, leveraging self-report questionnaires, objective neurocognitive testing, and structural and functional neuroimaging data. Preliminary results demonstrated that over 1/5 of our cohort endorsed clinically significant depressive and/or anxious symptoms, and >40% of participants had cognitive impairment on objective testing across multiple domains, consistent with ‘brain-fog’. While depression and one domain of quality of life (physical functioning) were significantly different between hospitalized and non-hospitalized participants, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and most domains of functioning were not, suggesting that the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection does not necessarily relate to the severity of neuropsychiatric outcomes and impaired functioning in the months after infection. Furthermore, we found that the majority of participants in a subset of our cohort who completed structural and functional neuroimaging (n=15) had smaller olfactory bulbs and sulci in conjunction with anosmia. We also showed that this subset of participants had dysfunction in attention network functional connectivity and ventromedial prefrontal cortex seed-based functional connectivity. These functional imaging dysfunctions have been observed previously in depression and correlated with levels of inflammation. Our results support and extend previous findings in the literature concerning the neuropsychiatric sequelae associated with long COVID. Ongoing data collection and analyses within this cohort will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the longitudinal relationships between neuropsychiatric symptoms, neurocognitive performance, brain structure and function, and inflammatory and immune profiles.

Download Full-text

Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhaa105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (9) ◽

pp. 5107-5120 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Katherine E Lawrence ◽

Leanna M Hernandez ◽

Hilary C Bowman ◽

Namita T Padgaonkar ◽

Emily Fuster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Central Executive ◽

Neural Mechanisms ◽

Typical Development ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Matched Sample ◽

Biological Factors ◽

Default Mode

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8–17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.

Download Full-text

Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10120898 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 898

Author(s):

Dylan S. Spets ◽

Scott D. Slotnick

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Thalamic Nuclei ◽

Term Memory ◽

Correlated Activity ◽

Abstract Shapes

The thalamus has been implicated in many cognitive processes, including long-term memory. More specifically, the anterior (AT) and mediodorsal (MD) thalamic nuclei have been associated with long-term memory. Despite extensive mapping of the anatomical connections between these nuclei and other brain regions, little is known regarding their functional connectivity during long-term memory. The current study sought to determine which brain regions are functionally connected to AT and MD during spatial long-term memory and whether sex differences exist in the patterns of connectivity. During encoding, abstract shapes were presented to the left and right of fixation. During retrieval, shapes were presented at fixation, and participants made an “old-left” or “old-right” judgment. Activations functionally connected to AT and MD existed in regions with known anatomical connections to each nucleus as well as in a broader network of long-term memory regions. Sex differences were identified in a subset of these regions. A targeted region-of-interest analysis identified anti-correlated activity between MD and the hippocampus that was specific to females, which is consistent with findings in rodents. The current results suggest that AT and MD play key roles during spatial long-term memory and suggest that these functions may be sex specific.

Download Full-text

The Role of Emotional Regulation and Affective Balance on Health Perception in Cardiovascular Disease Patients According to Sex Differences

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9103165 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 3165

Author(s):

Bárbara Luque ◽

Rosario Castillo-Mayén ◽

Esther Cuadrado ◽

Tamara Gutiérrez-Domingo ◽

Sebastián J. Rubio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Health Perception ◽

Phase 2 ◽

Cardiovascular Patients ◽

Affective Balance

One of the challenges of aging is the increase of people with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Men and women experience the disease differently. Therefore, it has an impact on how CVD is treated and its outcomes. This research analyzed the relationship between psychosocial variables and health promotion among cardiovascular patients, paying special attention to sex differences. A longitudinal study with cardiovascular patients (747 in phase 1 (122 women) and 586 in phase 2 (83 women)) was carried out. Participants were evaluated based on their sociodemographic characteristics, affective balance, regulatory negative affect self-efficacy, stress and anxiety regulation strategies, and perceived global health. Results showed that men presented significantly higher scores in positive affect, affective balance, and self-efficacy to regulate negative emotions, while women presented significantly higher scores in negative affect and the use of passive strategies to cope with stressful situations. Regression analyses showed that all psychological variables studied in phase 1 were significant predictors of health perception in phase 2. According to the results, it is necessary to include strategies to improve cardiovascular health through education and emotional regulation, with a gender focus.

Download Full-text