Increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in obese children during observation of food stimuli.
OBJECTIVE
Food cues yield different patterns of brain activation in obese compared with normal-weight adults in prefrontal and limbic/paralimbic areas. For children, no mapping studies comparing representation sites for food and other stimuli between obese and normal-weight subjects are available.


METHODS
We used a cross-sectional design of two age-matched subject groups to investigate differences in brain activation in response to visually presented food, pleasant, and neutral pictures between obese/overweight and normal children.


METHODS
22 overweight/obese children were compared with 22 normal-weight children.


METHODS
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (of the whole head during perception of visually presented stimuli), psychological testing, and psychophysical measures of heart rate deceleration were assessed.


RESULTS
Obese children showed higher activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to food pictures. In addition, DLPFC activation was negatively correlated with self-esteem. In contrast, normal-weight children showed higher activation of the caudate and hippocampus specific to food pictures, and of the anterior cingulate cortex and thalamus to visual cues in general. In response to food stimuli, obese children showed a heart rate deceleration correlating positively with activation of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Obese children react to food stimuli with increased prefrontal activation, which might be associated with increased inhibitory control.
Davids
S
S
Department of pediatric neurology and metabolic diseases, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Lauffer
H
H
Thoms
K
K
Jagdhuhn
M
M
Hirschfeld
H
H
Domin
M
M
Hamm
A
A
Lotze
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*