title: BMI modulates calorie-dependent dopamine changes in accumbens from glucose intake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dopamine mediates the rewarding effects of food that can lead to overeating and obesity, which then trigger metabolic neuroadaptations that further perpetuate excessive food consumption. We tested the hypothesis that the dopamine response to calorie intake (independent of palatability) in striatal brain regions is attenuated with increases in weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used positron emission tomography with [11C]raclopride to measure dopamine changes triggered by calorie intake by contrasting the effects of an artificial sweetener (sucralose) devoid of calories to that of glucose to assess their association with body mass index (BMI) in nineteen healthy participants (BMI range 21-35).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither the measured blood glucose concentrations prior to the sucralose and the glucose challenge days, nor the glucose concentrations following the glucose challenge vary as a function of BMI. In contrast the dopamine changes in ventral striatum (assessed as changes in non-displaceable binding potential of [11C]raclopride) triggered by calorie intake (contrast glucose - sucralose) were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.68) indicating opposite responses in lean than in obese individuals. Specifically whereas in normal weight individuals (BMI <25) consumption of calories was associated with increases in dopamine in the ventral striatum in obese individuals it was associated with decreases in dopamine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show reduced dopamine release in ventral striatum with calorie consumption in obese subjects, which might contribute to their excessive food intake to compensate for the deficit between the expected and the actual response to food consumption.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gene-Jack
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dardo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Convit
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shumay
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joanna S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nora D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Volkow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D005947:Glucose; D004298:Dopamine