Cited by 242Regulation of Appetite and ObesityEating Disorders and BehaviorsNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Evidence of gender differences in the ability to inhibit brain activation elicited by food stimulation

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Wang, Gene-Jack, Volkow, Nora D., Telang, Frank, Jayne, Millard, Ma, Yeming, Pradhan, Kith, Zhu, Wei, Wong, Christopher T. +4 more·2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Although impaired inhibitory control is linked to a broad spectrum of health problems, including obesity, the brain mechanism(s) underlying voluntary control of hunger are not well understood. We assessed the brain circuits involved in voluntary inhibition of hunger during food stimulation in 23 fasted men and women using PET and 2-deoxy-2[ 18 F]fluoro-D-glucose ( 18 FDG). In men, but not in women, food stimulation with inhibition significantly decreased activation in amygdala, hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and striatum, which are regions involved in emotional regulation, conditioning, and motivation. The suppressed activation of the orbitofrontal cortex with inhibition in men was associated with decreases in self-reports of hunger, which corroborates the involvement of this region in processing the conscious awareness of the drive to eat. This finding suggests a mechanism by which cognitive inhibition decreases the desire for food and implicates lower ability to suppress hunger in women as a contributing factor to gender differences in obesity.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.0807423106

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  • In non-obese male subjects inhibiting food craving during food cue exposure, metabolic activity decreases in amygdala, OFC, hippocampus, insula, and striatum, and OFC decreases are associated with reduced food craving.

    “when non-obese male subjects were asked to inhibit their craving for food while being exposed to food cues, they exhibited decreased metabolic activity in amygdala and OFC (as well as in hippocampus), insula and striatum, and that the decreases in OFC were associated with reductions in food craving (56).”

    From Obesity and addiction: Neurobiological overlaps (2013) · cites this paper as [56]

  • When nonobese male subjects inhibited food craving during food cues, they decreased activity in amygdala, OFC, hippocampus, insula, and striatum; OFC decreases were associated with reduced food craving.

    “Indeed, imaging studies showed that when nonobese male subjects were asked to inhibit their craving for food when exposed to food cues, they decreased activity in amygdala, OFC, hippocampus, insula, and striatum; and OFC decreases were associated with reductions in food craving (54).”

    From The Addictive Dimensionality of Obesity (2013) · cites this paper as [54]

  • When non-obese male subjects were asked to inhibit their craving for food while being exposed to food cues, they exhibited decreased metabolic activity in amygdala and OFC, as well as in hippocampus, insula and striatum, and decreases in OFC were associated with reductions in food craving.

    “Indeed, imaging studies showed that when non-obese male subjects were asked to inhibit their craving for food while being exposed to food cues, they exhibited decreased metabolic activity in amygdala and OFC (as well as in hippocampus), insula and striatum; and that the decreases in OFC were associated with reductions in food craving (Wang et al 2009).”

    From Food and Drug Reward: Overlapping Circuits in Human Obesity and Addiction (2011) · cites this paper as Wang et al 2009

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Authors
Wang, G.-J., Volkow, N. D., Telang, F., Jayne, M., Ma, Y., Pradhan, K., Zhu, W., Wong, C. T., Thanos, P. K., Geliebter, A., Biegon, A., & Fowler, J. S.
Affiliations
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • Stony Brook University (US)
  • St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (US)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2009-01-27
Volume
106
Issue
4
Pages
1249-1254
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2103800743
Cited by
242
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 16
FWCI
10.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • Stony Brook University
  • National Institutes of Health (Y1AA3009)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA 9481, Y1 AA 3009, R01AA009481)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA6278, DA6891, R01DA006278, R01DA006891)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R03DK068603)
  • 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
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
gender differences, inhibitory control, hunger, food stimulation, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, insula, striatum, obesity, emotion regulation, food motivation, brain glucose metabolism
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Female, Food, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Stimulation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Regression Analysis, Sex Characteristics, Stereotaxic Techniques, Positron-Emission Tomography

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