Body mass predicts orbitofrontal activity during visual presentations of high-calorie foods.
Little is known about the relationship between weight status and reward-related brain activity in normal weight humans. We correlated orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging with body mass index in 13 healthy, normal-weight adult women as they viewed images of high-calorie and low-calorie foods, and dining-related utensils. Body mass index correlated negatively with both cingulate and orbitofrontal activity during high-calorie viewing, negatively with orbitofrontal activity during low-calorie viewing, and positively with orbitofrontal activity during presentations of nonedible utensils. With greater body mass, activity was reduced in brain regions important for evaluating and modifying learned stimulus-reward associations, suggesting a relationship between weight status and responsiveness of the orbitofrontal cortex to rewarding food images.
Killgore
William D S
WD
Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. killgore@mclean.harvard.edu
Yurgelun-Todd
Deborah A
DA
D000328:Adult; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
D010100:Oxygen