title: The apéritif effect: Alcohol's effects on the brain's response to food aromas in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Consuming alcohol prior to a meal (an apéritif) increases food consumption. This greater food consumption may result from increased activity in brain regions that mediate reward and regulate feeding behavior. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we evaluated the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response to the food aromas of either roast beef or Italian meat sauce following pharmacokinetically controlled intravenous infusion of alcohol.
  
  
  METHODS
  BOLD activation to food aromas in non-obese women (n = 35) was evaluated once during intravenous infusion of 6% v/v EtOH, clamped at a steady-state breath alcohol concentration of 50 mg%, and once during infusion of saline using matching pump rates. Ad libitum intake of roast beef with noodles or Italian meat sauce with pasta following imaging was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BOLD activation to food relative to non-food odors in the hypothalamic area was increased during alcohol pre-load when compared to saline. Food consumption was significantly greater, and levels of ghrelin were reduced, following alcohol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An alcohol pre-load increased food consumption and potentiated differences between food and non-food BOLD responses in the region of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus may mediate the interplay of alcohol and responses to food cues, thus playing a role in the apéritif phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: William J A
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Eiler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Džemidžić
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: K Rose
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Case
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Soeurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Cheryl L H
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Mattes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Sean J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harezlak
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Acton
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Robert V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Considine
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kareken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009812:Odorants; D012201:Reward; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol