Cited by 824Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorRegulation of Appetite and Obesity

Activation of the Human Orbitofrontal Cortex to a Liquid Food Stimulus is Correlated with its Subjective Pleasantness

Kringelbach, M.L.·2003·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

Single-neuron recording studies in non-human primates indicate that orbitofrontal cortex neurons represent the reward value of the sight, smell and taste of food, and even changes in the relative reward value, but provide no direct evidence on brain activity that is correlated with subjective reports of the pleasantness of food. In this fMRI investigation we report a significant correlation between the activation of a region of the human orbitofrontal cortex and the decrease in subjective pleasantness when a liquid food is eaten to satiety. Moreover, a cluster of voxels in the orbitofrontal cortex showed a decrease in its activation that was specific to the particular liquid food consumed in a meal, providing a neural correlate of sensory-specific satiety to a liquid whole food in humans. This sensory-specific reduction in activation of the orbitofrontal cortex correlating with subjective pleasantness is consistent with an important role for the orbitofrontal cortex in human emotion and motivation, and associated subjective states.

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Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/13.10.1064

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  • Watson and colleagues outlined a framework delineating linkages between AN and reward-processing deficits, stressing the highly social nature of eating, the overlapping reward circuitry of gustatory and social stimuli, and the tendency of individuals with AN to deprive themselves of pleasure.

    “Watson and colleagues [334] outlined a framework delineating linkages between AN and reward-processing deficits. Their model stressed the highly social nature of eating, the overlapping reward circuitry of gustatory and social stimuli [335,336], and the tendency of individuals with AN to deprive themselves of pleasure.”
  • Subjective pleasantness in humans is coded by neural activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex as measured by fMRI and is subject to sensory-specific satiety.

    “Similarly, subjective pleasantness in humans was coded by neural activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex as measured by functional MRI (fMRI) and was subject to sensory-specific satiety, a form of reinforcer devaluation”

    From Food reward, hyperphagia, and obesity (2011) · cites this paper as [100]

  • Diminished activity in the OFC occurs after a specific food item has been eaten to satiety, decreasing its hedonic value and subjective pleasantness.

    “Diminished activity in the OFC has been found after a specific food item has been eaten to satiety, thereby decreasing its hedonic value and subjective pleasantness [25,26].”

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Authors
Kringelbach, M. L.
Affiliations
University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Kringelbach, M.L.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2003-10-01
Volume
13
Issue
10
Pages
1064-1071
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W1998712051
Cited by
824
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 57
FWCI
12.38
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Keywords
orbitofrontal cortex, sensory-specific satiety, food pleasantness, liquid foods, satiety, reward value, emotion and motivation
MeSH terms
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Brain Mapping, Feeding Behavior, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Male, Satiation, Smell, Taste, Visual Cortex

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