Cited by 677Regulation of Appetite and ObesityNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Ghrelin Modulates Brain Activity in Areas that Control Appetitive Behavior

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Malik, Saima, McGlone, Francis, Bedrossian, Diane, Dagher, Alain·2008·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

Feeding behavior is often separated into homeostatic and hedonic components. Hedonic feeding, which can be triggered by visual or olfactory food cues, involves brain regions that play a role in reward and motivation, while homeostatic feeding is thought to be under the control of circulating hormones acting primarily on the hypothalamus. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone secreted by the gut that causes hunger and food consumption. Here, we show that ghrelin administered intravenously to healthy volunteers during functional magnetic resonance imaging increased the neural response to food pictures in regions of the brain, including the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior insula, and striatum, implicated in encoding the incentive value of food cues. The effects of ghrelin on the amygdala and OFC response were correlated with self-rated hunger ratings. This demonstrates that metabolic signals such as ghrelin may favor food consumption by enhancing the hedonic and incentive responses to food-related cues.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2008.03.007

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  • The targeted effect size was chosen based on findings from studies employing CIC paradigms for drug craving, food cravings, and internet gaming craving, which report medium-to-large effect sizes in cue reactivity.

    “The targeted-effect size was chosen based on findings from studies employing CIC paradigms for drug craving52, food cravings25,37,53,54 and internet gaming craving27, which report medium-to-large effect sizes in cue reactivity52.”

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Authors
Malik, S., McGlone, F., Bedrossian, D., & Dagher, A.
Affiliations
  • Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (CA)
  • Unilever (United Kingdom) (GB)
Corresponding author
Dagher, Alain
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-05
Volume
7
Issue
5
Pages
400-409
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1987555746
Cited by
677
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 53 · 2013: 51 · 2012: 64
FWCI
18.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
ghrelin, hedonic feeding, food cues, appetite, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior insula, striatum, hunger, reward and motivation, gut-brain signaling
MeSH terms
Adult, Appetite Regulation, Brain, Eating, Humans, Hunger, Male, Satiation, Ghrelin

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