Cited by 725Regulation of Appetite and ObesityHypothalamic control of reproductive hormonesEating Disorders and Behaviors

Multiple neural systems controlling food intake and body weight

Berthoud, Hans-Rudolf·2002·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Abstract

Discovery of the leptin receptor and its downstream peptidergic pathways has reconfirmed the crucial role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Strategically located in the midst of the mammalian neuraxis, the hypothalamus receives at least three distinct types of relevant information via direct or indirect neural connections as well as hormone receptors and substrate sensors bestowed on hypothalamic neurons. First, the medial and to a lesser extent the lateral hypothalamus receive a rich mix of information pertaining to the internal state of relative energy repletion/depletion. Second, specific hypothalamic nuclei receive information about the behavioral state, such as diurnal clock, physical activity-level, reproductive cycle, developmental stage, as well as imminent (e.g. fight and flight) and chronic (e.g. infection) stressors, that can potentially impact on short-term availability of fuels and long-term energy balance. Third, the hypothalamus, particularly its lateral aspects, receives information from areas in the forebrain involved in the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of sensory representations of the external food space and internal food experience, as well as from the executive forebrain involved in behavior selection and initiation. In addition, rich intrahypothalamic connections facilitate further distribution of incoming information to various hypothalamic nuclei. On the other hand, the hypothalamus has widespread neural projections to the same cortical areas it receives inputs, and many hypothalamic neurons are one synapse away from most endocrine systems and from both sympathetic and parasympathetic effector organs involved in the flux, storage, mobilization, and utilization of fuels. It is argued that processing within cortico-limbic areas and communication with hypothalamic areas are particularly important in human food intake control that is more and more guided by cognitive rather than metabolic aspects in the obesigenic environment of affluent societies. A distributed neural network for the control of food intake and energy balance consisting of a central processor and several parallel processing loops is hypothesized. Detailed neurochemical, anatomical, and functional analysis of reciprocal connections of the numerous peptidergic neuron populations in the hypothalamus with extrahypothalamic brain areas will be necessary to better understand what hypothalamus, forebrain, and brainstem tell each other and who is in charge under specific conditions of internal and external nutrient availability.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0149-7634(02)00014-3

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  • Food intake and energy expenditure are controlled by complex, redundant, and distributed neural systems, likely involving thousands of genes and reflecting the fundamental biological importance of adequate nutrient supply and energy balance.

    “Food intake and energy expenditure are thought to be controlled by complex, redundant, and distributed neural systems, likely involving thousands of genes and reflecting the fundamental biological importance of adequate nutrient supply and energy balance”

    From Food reward, hyperphagia, and obesity (2011) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Ingestive behavior consists of preparatory, consummatory, and postconsummatory phases.

    “Ingestive behavior is not limited to the act of eating, but consists of preparatory, consummatory, and postconsummatory phases”

    From Food reward, hyperphagia, and obesity (2011) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Berthoud, H.-R.
Affiliations
Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
Corresponding author
Berthoud, Hans-Rudolf
Venue
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2002-06
Volume
26
Issue
4
Pages
393-428
ISSN
0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2058586676
Cited by
725
References
283
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 40 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 44
FWCI
3.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK-47348, DK 57242, R01DK057242, R01DK047348)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Keywords
food intake regulation, body weight regulation, hypothalamus, energy balance, leptin receptor, peptidergic neurons, lateral hypothalamus, medial hypothalamus, artificial neural networks
MeSH terms
Animals, Body Weight, Eating, Energy Metabolism, Homeostasis, Humans, Hypothalamic Area, Lateral, Models, Biological, Neural Pathways

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