Gastric distention activates satiety circuitry in the human brain
Abstract
Gastric distention during meal ingestion activates vagal afferents, which send signals from the stomach to the brain and result in the perception of fullness and satiety. Distention is one of the mechanisms that modulates food intake. We measured regional brain activation during dynamic gastric balloon distention in 18 health subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging and the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses. The BOLD signal was significantly changed by both inflow and outflow changes in the balloon's volume. For lower balloon volumes, water inflow was associated with activation of sensorimotor cortices and right insula. The larger volume condition additionally activated left posterior amygdala, left posterior insula and the left precuneus. The response in the left amygdala and insula was negatively associated with changes in self-reports of fullness and positively with changes in plasma ghrelin concentration, whereas those in the right amygdala and insula were negatively associated with the subject's body mass index. The widespread activation induced by gastric distention corroborates the influence of vagal afferents on cortical and subcortical brain activity. These findings provide evidence that the left amygdala and insula process interoceptive signals of fullness produced by gastric distention involved in the controls of food intake.
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Despite the variance, the brain tracks such changes in similar subregions, including the insula, somatosensory cortices, cingulate, amygdala, thalamus, and brainstem.
“Despite the variance, the brain tracks such changes in similar subregions, including the insula, somatosensory cortices, cingulate, amygdala, thalamus, and brainstem (42,43,51–53).”
From Interoception and Mental Health: A Roadmap. (2018) · cites this paper as [53]
Gastric distension results in activation of the posterior insula, consistent with its role in awareness of body states such as fullness.
“And indeed, gastric distension results in activation of the posterior insula, consistent with its role in the awareness of body states (in this case of fullness) (140).”
From Obesity and addiction: Neurobiological overlaps (2013) · cites this paper as [140]
Gastric distention activates the posterior insula, likely reflecting awareness of body states such as fullness.
“Indeed, gastric distention results in activation of the posterior insula, a likely reflection of its role in the awareness of body states (in this case of fullness) (99).”
From The Addictive Dimensionality of Obesity (2013) · cites this paper as [99]
Gastric distention results in activation of the posterior insula, which is likely to reflect its role in the awareness of body states, in this case of fullness.
“Indeed, gastric distention results in activation of the posterior insula, which is likely to reflect its role in the awareness of body states (in this case of fullness) (Wang et al 2008).”
From Food and Drug Reward: Overlapping Circuits in Human Obesity and Addiction (2011) · cites this paper as Wang et al 2008
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References 50 · Cited by 297
- Authors
- Wang, G.-J., Tomasi, D., Backus, W., Wang, R., Telang, F., Geliebter, A., Korner, J., Bauman, A., Fowler, J. S., Thanos, P. K., & Volkow, N. D.
- Affiliations
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- Stony Brook University (US)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (US)
- St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Gene-Jack
- Venue
- NeuroImage
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-02
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1824-1831
- ISSN
- 1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2015416604
- Cited by
- 297
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 4.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA 9481, Y1 AA 3009, R01AA009481)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 00280, DA 7092, K20DA000280)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R03DK068603, R01DK054318, R01DK072011, R01DK080153, DK072011)
- National Center for Research Resources (#M01RR10710, M01RR010710)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Keywords
- gastric distension, satiety, vagal afferents, interoception, amygdala, insula, precuneus, ghrelin, body mass index, food intake regulation, sensorimotor cortex, intragastric balloon
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Amygdala, Brain, Catheterization, Eating, Female, Gastrointestinal Hormones, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Net, Neuropeptides, Oxygen, Surveys and Questionnaires, Satiety Response, Stomach, Tetragastrin, Peptide YY
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