Cited by 229Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchRegulation of Appetite and ObesitySleep and related disorders

Sleep restriction increases the neuronal response to unhealthy food in normal-weight individuals

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St-Onge, M-P, Wolfe, S, Sy, M, Shechter, A, Hirsch, J·2014·International Journal of Obesity

Abstract

Context Sleep restriction alters responses to food. However, the underlying neural mechanisms for this effect are not well understood.Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a neural system that is preferentially activated in response to unhealthy compared with healthy foods.Participants Twenty-five normal-weight individuals, who normally slept 7-9 h per night, completed both phases of this randomized controlled study.Intervention Each participant was tested after a period of five nights of either 4 or 9 h in bed. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in the fasted state, presenting healthy and unhealthy food stimuli and objects in a block design. Neuronal responses to unhealthy, relative to healthy food stimuli after each sleep period were assessed and compared.Results After a period of restricted sleep, viewing unhealthy foods led to greater activation in the superior and middle temporal gyri, middle and superior frontal gyri, left inferior parietal lobule, orbitofrontal cortex, and right insula compared with healthy foods. These same stimuli presented after a period of habitual sleep did not produce marked activity patterns specific to unhealthy foods. Further, food intake during restricted sleep increased in association with a relative decrease in brain oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity observed in the right insula.Conclusion This inverse relationship between insula activity and food intake and enhanced activation in brain reward and food-sensitive centers in response to unhealthy foods provides a model of neuronal mechanisms relating short sleep duration to obesity.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [22]St-Onge MP McReynolds A Trivedi Z Roberts A Sy M Hirsch J Sleep restriction leads to increased activation of brain regions sensitive to food stimuli Am J Clin Nutr 2012 95 818 824 22357722 PMC3302360
  2. [30]St-Onge MP Roberts AL Chen J Kelleman M O'Keeffe M RoyChoudhury A Short sleep duration increases energy intakes but does not change energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals Am J Clin Nutr 2011 94 410 416 21715510 PMC3142720

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Authors
St-Onge, M.-P., Wolfe, S., Sy, M., Shechter, A., & Hirsch, J.
Affiliations
  • St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
Venue
International Journal of Obesity
Published
2013-06-19
Volume
38
Issue
3
Pages
411-416
ISSN
  • 0307-0565 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5497
OpenAlex
W1986570905
Cited by
229
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5
FWCI
9.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL091352)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK026687, T32DK007559)
  • National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR024156, M01RR000032)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
Keywords
sleep restriction, unhealthy food, food reward, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal cortex, dietary intake, obesity, short sleep duration, normal-weight individuals, cerebral oxygenation
MeSH terms
Adult, Appetite, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cues, Eating, Fasting, Female, Food, Humans, Hunger, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reward, Sleep Deprivation

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