Individual differences in nucleus accumbens activity to food and sexual images predict weight gain and sexual behavior
Open accessAbstract
Failures of self-regulation are common, leading to many of the most vexing problems facing contemporary society, from overeating and obesity to impulsive sexual behavior and STDs. One reason that people may be prone to engaging in unwanted behaviors is heightened sensitivity to cues related to those behaviors; people may overeat because of hyperresponsiveness to food cues, addicts may relapse following exposure to their drug of choice, and some people might engage in impulsive sexual activity because they are easily aroused by erotic stimuli. An open question is the extent to which individual differences in neural cue reactivity relate to actual behavioral outcomes. Here we show that individual differences in human reward-related brain activity in the nucleus accumbens to food and sexual images predict subsequent weight gain and sexual activity 6 months later. These findings suggest that heightened reward responsivity in the brain to food and sexual cues is associated with indulgence in overeating and sexual activity, respectively, and provide evidence for a common neural mechanism associated with appetitive behaviors.
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The reaction of the nucleus accumbens to erotic images was predictive of subsequent sexual activity, while the reaction to food cues predicted future obesity.
“Demos et al. (2012) found that the reaction of the nucleus accumbens to erotic images was predictive of subsequent sexual activity, while the reaction to food cues predicted future obesity.”
From A motivation model of sex addiction – Relevance to the controversy over the concept (2022) · cites this paper as Demos et al., 2012
The Abstract reports that nucleus accumbens responses to sexual images predicted sexual activity six months later. Results > Predicting Weight Change reports that responses to food images predicted an increase in BMI, not future obesity; the claim overstates that outcome. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBoth NAc and vmPFC have been shown to be important predictors of changes in appetitive and self-regulatory behaviors in the real world.
“both regions have been shown to be important predictors of changes in appetitive and self-regulatory behaviors in the real world [45],[80],[81]”
From Distinct Brain Systems Mediate the Effects of Nociceptive Input and Self-Regulation on Pain (2015) · cites this paper as [80]
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“Demos et al. (2012) found that the reaction of the nucleus accumbens to erotic images was predictive of subsequent sexual activity, while the reaction to food cues predicted future obesity.”
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- Authors
- Demos, K. E., Heatherton, T. F., & Kelley, W. M.
- Affiliations
- Dartmouth College (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2012-04-18
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 16
- Pages
- 5549-5552
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC3377379
- OpenAlex
- W1974310475
- Cited by
- 410
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 14.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA022582, DA022582)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- nucleus accumbens, individual differences, food cues, sexual cues, reward sensitivity, cue reactivity, weight gain, obesity, overeating, sexual behavior, impulsivity, self-regulation, appetitive behavior
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Cues, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Food, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Imagination, Individuality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motivation, Nucleus Accumbens, Oxygen, Predictive Value of Tests, Regression Analysis, Reward, Sexual Behavior, Weight Gain, Young Adult
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