title: Age-related functional changes in gustatory and reward processing regions: An fMRI study.
abstract: Changes in appetite in older adults may result in unhealthy weight change and negatively affect overall nutrition. Research examining gustatory processing in young adults has linked changes in patterns of the hemodynamic response of gustatory and motivation related brain regions to the physiological states of hunger and satiety. Whether the same brain regions are involved in taste processing in older adults is unknown. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine age-related changes in gustatory processing during hedonic assessment. Caffeine, citric acid, sucrose, and NaCl were administered orally during two event-related fMRI sessions, one during hunger and one after a pre-load. Participants assessed the pleasantness of the solutions in each session. Increased activity of the insula was seen in both age groups during hunger. Activity of secondary and higher order taste processing and reward regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and caudate nucleus was also observed. Hunger and satiety differentially affected the hemodynamic response, resulting in positive global activation during hunger and negative during satiety in both age groups. While in a state of hunger, the frequency and consistency of positive activation in gustatory and reward processing regions was greater in older adults. Additional regions not commonly associated with taste processing were also activated in older adults. Investigating the neurological response of older adults to taste stimuli under conditions of hunger and satiety may aid in understanding appetite, health, and functional changes in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011601:Psychophysics; D012201:Reward; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000502:physiology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D019343:Citric Acid; D002110:Caffeine; D013395:Sucrose
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1986 Feb 8;244(2):213-28
references.pmid: 3950095
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Aug;32(8):1622-7
references.pmid: 463801
references.citation: JAMA. 2002 Nov 13;288(18):2307-12
references.pmid: 12425708
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Oct;20(10):1815-26
references.pmid: 18370603
references.citation: Percept Psychophys. 1989 Dec;46(6):555-9
references.pmid: 2587184
references.citation: Stroke. 2001 Jan;32(1):139-46
references.pmid: 11136929
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 1992 Winter;4(1):23-34
references.pmid: 23967855
references.citation: Emotion. 2008 Jun;8(3):318-30
references.pmid: 18540748
references.citation: Brain. 2003 Apr;126(Pt 4):873-88
references.pmid: 12615645
references.citation: Neuroreport. 2002 Dec 20;13(18):2425-8
references.pmid: 12499842
references.citation: Brain Res. 2003 Oct 3;986(1-2):39-53
references.pmid: 12965228
references.citation: Neurology. 2002 Feb 26;58(4):630-5
references.pmid: 11865144
references.citation: Science. 2003 Aug 22;301(5636):1104-7
references.pmid: 12934011
references.citation: Chem Senses. 2007 Jul;32(6):569-81
references.pmid: 17495173
references.citation: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005 Jan;60(1):109-13
references.pmid: 15741292
references.citation: J Hum Nutr Diet. 2006 Feb;19(1):23-6
references.pmid: 16448471
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2006 Apr 25;169(1):111-9
references.pmid: 16445991
references.citation: Psychol Aging. 2002 Mar;17(1):44-55
references.pmid: 11933895
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2002 Nov;17(3):1394-402
references.pmid: 12414279
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1981 Jul;27(1):137-42
references.pmid: 7267792
references.citation: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001 Dec;56(12):M756-60
references.pmid: 11723149
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2003 Oct;13(10):1064-71
references.pmid: 12967923
references.citation: Neurology. 2005 Jan 25;64(2):277-81
references.pmid: 15668425
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2003 Jan;89(1):265-75
references.pmid: 12522178
references.citation: Atten Percept Psychophys. 2009 Jul;71(5):1167-73
references.pmid: 19525545
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2007 Jun;10(6):787-91
references.pmid: 17468751
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2001 Apr;115(2):493-500
references.pmid: 11345973
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2004 Oct;7(10):1144-52
references.pmid: 15361879
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2006 Jun 30;88(3):257-66
references.pmid: 16769094
references.citation: Psychol Aging. 2002 Mar;17(1):7-23
references.pmid: 11931288
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2007 Apr;97(4):3036-45
references.pmid: 17303809
references.citation: Am J Otolaryngol. 1983 Jul-Aug;4(4):252-6
references.pmid: 6625103
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2006 Jun;18(6):1029-43
references.pmid: 16839308
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Feb;27(3):723-9
references.pmid: 18279324
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2001 Jul 15;21(14):5304-10
references.pmid: 11438606
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2003 Sep;20(1):12-21
references.pmid: 14527566
references.citation: J Neurosci Methods. 2007 Jan 15;159(1):98-107
references.pmid: 16978702
references.citation: Neuroreport. 1996 Apr 26;7(6):1165-9
references.pmid: 8817525
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 1989 Jan;1(1):53-60
references.pmid: 12106174
references.citation: Neuron. 2003 Aug 14;39(4):701-11
references.pmid: 12925283
references.citation: Comput Biomed Res. 1996 Jun;29(3):162-73
references.pmid: 8812068
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2008 May;117(2):428-34
references.pmid: 18489219
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2003 Oct 22;23(29):9632-8
references.pmid: 14573543
references.citation: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005 Apr;60(4):510-4
references.pmid: 15933393
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1989;561:39-55
references.pmid: 2735688
references.citation: Neurobiol Aging. 1994 Nov-Dec;15(6):743-50
references.pmid: 7891830
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Aug;18(3):695-703
references.pmid: 12911766
references.citation: Percept Psychophys. 1989 Feb;45(2):121-8
references.pmid: 2928073
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2003 Jul;90(1):313-9
references.pmid: 12843312
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1993 Jun;69(6):1810-20
references.pmid: 8350125
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Oct;79(4):644-55
references.pmid: 11045744
references.citation: Science. 1995 Jul 14;269(5221):218-21
references.pmid: 7618082
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2008 Jan 2;28(1):91-9
references.pmid: 18171926
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Dec;54(6):988-96
references.pmid: 1957832
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Mar 1;61(5):720-4
references.pmid: 16950228
references.citation: Neurobiol Aging. 1990 Jul-Aug;11(4):465-9
references.pmid: 2381506
references.citation: Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2003 Mar;3(1):27-38
references.pmid: 12822596
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2004 Apr;14(4):364-75
references.pmid: 15028641
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2010 May;20(5):1082-91
references.pmid: 19684248
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Oct;18(7):2059-68
references.pmid: 14622239
references.citation: BMJ. 2005 Jun 11;330(7504):1360
references.pmid: 15863436
references.citation: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1992 Oct;16(10):745-53
references.pmid: 1330954
references.citation: Brain. 2001 Sep;124(Pt 9):1720-33
references.pmid: 11522575
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2000 Sep;12(5):775-92
references.pmid: 11054920
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2004 Sep;14(9):1022-30
references.pmid: 15115748
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 1976 Jun;51(3):668-77
references.pmid: 819286
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Feb 1;44(3):1008-21
references.pmid: 19007893
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1988;42(3):223-9
references.pmid: 3406148
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2000 Jan;12(1):174-87
references.pmid: 10769314
references.citation: Brain Res. 1996 Nov 18;740(1-2):193-200
references.pmid: 8973814