scholarly journals Food Addiction Symptoms and Amygdala Response in Fasted and Fed States

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirrilly M. Pursey ◽  
Oren Contreras-Rodriguez ◽  
Clare E. Collins ◽  
Peter Stanwell ◽  
Tracy L. Burrows

Few studies have investigated the underlying neural substrates of food addiction (FA) in humans using a recognised assessment tool. In addition, no studies have investigated subregions of the amygdala (basolateral (BLA) and central amygdala), which have been linked to reward-seeking behaviours, susceptibility to weight gain, and promoting appetitive behaviours, in the context of FA. This pilot study aimed to explore the association between FA symptoms and activation in the BLA and central amygdala via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in response to visual food cues in fasted and fed states. Females (n = 12) aged 18–35 years completed two fMRI scans (fasted and fed) while viewing high-calorie food images and low-calorie food images. Food addiction symptoms were assessed using the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Associations between FA symptoms and activation of the BLA and central amygdala were tested using bilateral masks and small-volume correction procedures in multiple regression models, controlling for BMI. Participants were 24.1 ± 2.6 years, with mean BMI of 27.4 ± 5.0 kg/m2 and FA symptom score of 4.1 ± 2.2. A significant positive association was identified between FA symptoms and higher activation of the left BLA to high-calorie versus low-calorie foods in the fasted session, but not the fed session. There were no significant associations with the central amygdala in either session. This exploratory study provides pilot data to inform future studies investigating the neural mechanisms underlying FA.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M Seitz ◽  
Josefa Equita ◽  
A. Janet Tomiyama ◽  
Aaron Blaisdell

It is unclear if, and to what extent, the human memory system is biased towards food and food relevant stimuli. Drawing upon existing demonstrations of attentional biases to high calorie food images, and findings that evolutionarily relevant stimuli are preferentially remembered, we hypothesized that images of high calorie foods would be better remembered than images of low calorie foods and nonfood items. Investigating this is important because a general bias towards remembering high calorie images might facilitate greater incentive learning towards these images which could result in cue-induced overconsumption. We tested this in two pre-registered, within-subject studies (ns = 38). In Experiment 1, using a rapid stream visual presentation procedure and recognition memory test, we found no effect of image type (high calorie, low calorie, nonfood) on recognition for previously seen images (F < 1.0). However, we did observe fewer correct rejections (i.e. more false memories) for novel low calorie images. In Experiment 2, we used a longer encoding procedure and free recall memory test and similarly failed to observe an effect of image type on recall (F < 1.0). We did discover several other factors that correlate with image memory which we discuss along with the implications of these results and directions for future research.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Aulbach ◽  
Ville Johannes Harjunen ◽  
Michiel Spape ◽  
Keegan Phillip Knittle ◽  
Ari Haukkala ◽  
...  

Go/No-Go tasks, which require participants to inhibit automatic responses to images of palatable foods, have shown diagnostic value in quantifying food-related impulses.Moreover, they have shown potential for training to control impulsive eating. To test a suggested hypothesis that training modulates early neural markers of responseinhibition, the current study investigated how N2 event-related brain potential to high and low-calorie food images changes along the Go-/No-Go training and how the N2 is related to later eating behavior. Participants first completed a food Go/No-Go task in which high and low calorie food images were accompanied by Go- and No-Go-cues with equal frequency. Participants then completed a training block in which high-calorie foods were predominantly paired with a No-Go cue and the low-calorie foods with a Go cue, followed by a block with reversed coupling (order of the training blocks counterbalanced between participants). After each training, there was a snacking opportunity during which calorie intake was measured. Against our pre-registered hypotheses, the N2 amplitudes were not affected by calorie-content and there was no training-related modulation in the N2. Additionally, food intake did not differ between the preceding training blocks and the N2 amplitude did not predict food intake. Our study suggests that the link between N2 obtained in a food-related Go/No-Go task and impulse control is not clear-cut and may be limited to specific task characteristics. The results are of high importance as they question previously assumed mechanism of Go/No-Go training in food-related inhibitory control.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dayna Mercer

<p>New Zealand obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. Excessive eating not only harms individual health, but also the NZ economy; health-related costs soar with rising obesity rates. The need to understand possible mechanisms driving excessive eating behaviour is now crucial. One cognitive mechanism thought to contribute to excessive eating is an attentional bias towards food stimuli. We propose this bias would be similar to the attentional bias that is consistently shown with emotional stimuli (e.g. erotic and mutilation images). In this thesis I examined attentional biases towards food stimuli and how they relate to both state (hunger) and trait (waist circumference) factors. In Experiment 1, I investigated the existence of a food-related attentional bias and whether this bias is stronger towards high calorie food images, compared to low-calorie and non-food images (household objects). Participants were asked to fast for 2 hours (to promote self-reported hunger) before completing a distraction task. This task has repeatedly shown an attentional bias to high arousal emotional images (erotic and mutilation scenes). On each trial, participants had to determine whether a target letter was a ‘K’ or an ‘N’, while ignoring centrally-presented distractors (high calorie, low calorie and household object images). Compared to scrambled images, all image types were similarly distracting. We found no support for the existence of an attentional bias towards food stimuli; nor did we find a significant association between the bias and either state or trait factors. Experiment 2 sought to conceptually replicate Cunningham & Egeth (2018) who found significant support for the existence of a food-related attentional bias. Participants completed a similar task. However, distractor relevance was manipulated by incorporating both central and peripheral distractors, to increase ecological validity. Additionally, participants were asked to fast for longer (4 hours) to increase self-reported hunger. Despite a significant distraction effect (participants were more distracted on distractor present vs. distractor absent trials) and distractor-location effect (participants were more distracted by central vs. peripheral distractors), participants did not exhibit an attentional bias towards food stimuli. Furthermore, no significant associations between the bias and either state or trait factors were found. Thus, food stimuli do not appear to rapidly capture attention the way that emotional stimuli do, at least not in this task. Future research is needed to clarify the role of cognitive mechanisms in excessive eating behaviour.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Jones ◽  
Shan Luo ◽  
Hilary M. Dorton ◽  
Alexandra G. Yunker ◽  
Brendan Angelo ◽  
...  

It has been hypothesized that the incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), decreases overeating by influencing mesolimbic brain regions that process food-cues, including the dorsal striatum. We previously showed that habitual added sugar intake was associated with lower glucose-induced circulating GLP-1 and a greater striatal response to high calorie food cues in lean individuals. Less is known about how dietary added sugar and obesity may interact to affect postprandial GLP-1 and its relationship to striatal responses to food cues and feeding behavior. The current study aimed to expand upon previous research by assessing how circulating GLP-1 and striatal food cue reactivity are affected by acute glucose consumption in participants with varied BMIs and amounts of habitual consumption of added sugar. This analysis included 72 participants from the Brain Response to Sugar Study who completed two study visits where they consumed either plain water or 75g glucose dissolved in water (order randomized; both drinks were flavored with non-caloric cherry flavoring) and underwent repeated blood sampling, a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based food-cue task, and an ad-libitum buffet meal. Correlations between circulating GLP-1 levels, striatal food-cue reactivity, and food intake were assessed, and interactions between obesity and added sugar on GLP-1 and striatal responses were examined. An interaction between BMI and dietary added sugar was associated with reduced post-glucose GLP-1 secretion. Participants who were obese and consumed high levels of added sugar had the smallest increase in plasma GLP-1 levels. Glucose-induced GLP-1 secretion was correlated with lower dorsal striatal reactivity to high-calorie versus low-calorie food-cues, driven by an increase in reactivity to low calorie food-cues. The increase in dorsal striatal reactivity to low calorie food-cues was negatively correlated with sugar consumed at the buffet. These findings suggest that an interaction between obesity and dietary added sugar intake is associated with additive reductions in postprandial GLP-1 secretion. Additionally, the results suggest that changes to dorsal striatal food cue reactivity through a combination of dietary added sugar and obesity may affect food consumption.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dayna Mercer

<p>New Zealand obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. Excessive eating not only harms individual health, but also the NZ economy; health-related costs soar with rising obesity rates. The need to understand possible mechanisms driving excessive eating behaviour is now crucial. One cognitive mechanism thought to contribute to excessive eating is an attentional bias towards food stimuli. We propose this bias would be similar to the attentional bias that is consistently shown with emotional stimuli (e.g. erotic and mutilation images). In this thesis I examined attentional biases towards food stimuli and how they relate to both state (hunger) and trait (waist circumference) factors. In Experiment 1, I investigated the existence of a food-related attentional bias and whether this bias is stronger towards high calorie food images, compared to low-calorie and non-food images (household objects). Participants were asked to fast for 2 hours (to promote self-reported hunger) before completing a distraction task. This task has repeatedly shown an attentional bias to high arousal emotional images (erotic and mutilation scenes). On each trial, participants had to determine whether a target letter was a ‘K’ or an ‘N’, while ignoring centrally-presented distractors (high calorie, low calorie and household object images). Compared to scrambled images, all image types were similarly distracting. We found no support for the existence of an attentional bias towards food stimuli; nor did we find a significant association between the bias and either state or trait factors. Experiment 2 sought to conceptually replicate Cunningham & Egeth (2018) who found significant support for the existence of a food-related attentional bias. Participants completed a similar task. However, distractor relevance was manipulated by incorporating both central and peripheral distractors, to increase ecological validity. Additionally, participants were asked to fast for longer (4 hours) to increase self-reported hunger. Despite a significant distraction effect (participants were more distracted on distractor present vs. distractor absent trials) and distractor-location effect (participants were more distracted by central vs. peripheral distractors), participants did not exhibit an attentional bias towards food stimuli. Furthermore, no significant associations between the bias and either state or trait factors were found. Thus, food stimuli do not appear to rapidly capture attention the way that emotional stimuli do, at least not in this task. Future research is needed to clarify the role of cognitive mechanisms in excessive eating behaviour.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Benedicte Sørensen  Strøm ◽  
Knut Engedal ◽  
Anne Marie  Rokstad

Introduction: It has been reported that residents living in nursing homes are often inactive and lonely and are offered a limited number of activities. However, high engagement in activities has been reported to improve residents’ quality of life and engagement in personalized activities can even reduce agitation and enhance positive mood. Information regarding occupational patterns and purpose in life is well established in Western countries. However, we know next to nothing about how people living in Indian nursing homes spend their days. Objective: To explore the participation in everyday activities among older people in Indian nursing homes and the extent to which engagement in activities is associated with person-centred care. Methods: The study was conducted in 6 nursing homes in India, comprising 147 residents. In all, 23 nursing staff took part and completed a 26-item questionnaire about resident activities based on the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale and the Person-Directed Care Questionnaire. Person-centredness was measured with the Person-Centred Care Assessment Tool. Results: We found low participationin everyday activities among the residents. Participation in religious activities was the most frequent, whereas the least used activities were excursions, participating in cultural activities, taking part in educational programmes, visiting a restaurant and going to the cinema. A significant positive association was foundbetween person-centred care and participation in religious activities, engagement in an activity programme and physical activity. Conclusions: The most frequently attended activity was religious activities. Person-centred care was associated with participation in religious activities, engagement in an activity programme, physical activity, spending time in the garden and playing and listening to music.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e026266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Herkes ◽  
Kate Churruca ◽  
Louise A Ellis ◽  
Chiara Pomare ◽  
Jeffrey Braithwaite

ObjectivesPeople interact with their work environment through being, to a greater or lesser extent, compatible with aspects of their setting. This interaction between person and environment is particularly relevant in healthcare settings where compatibility affects not only the healthcare professionals, but also potentially the patient. One way to examine this association is to investigate person–organisation (P-O) fit and person–group (P-G) fit. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesise knowledge on both P-O fit and P-G fit in healthcare to determine their association with staff outcomes. It was hypothesised that there would be a positive relationship between fit and staff outcomes, such that the experience of compatibility and ‘fitting in’ would be associated with better staff outcomes.DesignA systematic review was conducted based on an extensive search strategy guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses to identify relevant literature.Data sourcesCINAHL Complete, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus.Eligibility criteriaArticles were included if they were empirical studies, published in peer-reviewed journals in English language, set in a healthcare context and addressed the association that staff outcomes have with P-O and/or P-G fit.Data extraction and synthesisIncluded texts were examined for study characteristics, fit constructs examined and types of staff outcomes assessed. The Quality Assessment Tool was used to assess risk of bias.ResultsTwenty-eight articles were included in the review. Of these, 96.4% (27/28) reported a significant, positive association between perception of fit and staff outcomes in healthcare contexts, such that a sense of compatibility had various positive implications for staff, including job satisfaction and retention.ConclusionAlthough the results, as with all systematic reviews, are prone to bias and definitional ambiguity, they are still informative. Generally, the evidence suggests an association between employees’ perceived compatibility with the workplace or organisation and a variety of staff outcomes in healthcare settings.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp A Schroeder ◽  
Enrico Collantoni ◽  
Johannes Lohmann ◽  
Martin V Butz ◽  
Christian Plewnia

Abstract Purpose: Attractive food elicits approaching behavior, which could be directly assessed in a combination of Virtual Reality (VR) with online motion-capture. Thus, VR enables the assessment of motivated approach and avoidance behavior towards food and non-food cues in controlled laboratory environments. Aim of this study was to test the specificity of a behavioral approach bias for high-calorie food in grasp movements compared to low-calorie food and neutral objects of different complexity, namely, simple balls and geometrically more complex tools. Methods: In a VR setting, healthy participants repeatedly grasped or pushed high-calorie food, low-calorie food, balls and office tools in randomized order with 30 item repetitions. All objects were rated for valence and arousal. Results: High-calorie food was less attractive and more arousing in subjective ratings than low-calorie food and neutral objects. Responses to high-calorie food were fastest only in grasp trials, but comparisons with low-calorie food and complex tools were inconclusive. Conclusion: A behavioral bias for food may be specific to high-calorie food objects, but more systematic variations of object fidelity are outstanding. The utility of VR in assessing approach behavior is confirmed in this study by exploring manual interactions in a controlled environment.


GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽  
Andreas Häusler ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Johanna Nordheim

Abstract. To date, few studies have focused on perceived overprotection from the perspective of people with dementia (PwD). In the present examination, the association of perceived overprotection in PwD is examined as an autonomy-restricting factor and thus negative for their mental well-being. Cross-sectional data from the prospective DYADEM study of 82 patient/partner dyads (mean age = 74.26) were used to investigate the association between overprotection, perceived stress, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The analyses show that an overprotective contact style with PwD has a significant positive association with stress and depression, and has a negative association with QoL. The results emphasize the importance of avoiding an overprotective care style and supporting patient autonomy.


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