Reward, dopamine and the control of food intake: implications for obesity

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Trends In Cognitive Sciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.11.001· OSTI ID:1043996

D, Volkow N; Wang, G; Volkow, N D; Wang, G -J; Baler, R D

The ability to resist the urge to eat requires the proper functioning of neuronal circuits involved in top-down control to oppose the conditioned responses that predict reward from eating the food and the desire to eat the food. Imaging studies show that obese subjects might have impairments in dopaminergic pathways that regulate neuronal systems associated with reward sensitivity, conditioning and control. It is known that the neuropeptides that regulate energy balance (homeostatic processes) through the hypothalamus also modulate the activity of dopamine cells and their projections into regions involved in the rewarding processes underlying food intake. It is postulated that this could also be a mechanism by which overeating and the resultant resistance to homoeostatic signals impairs the function of circuits involved in reward sensitivity, conditioning and cognitive control.

• Research Organization: BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY (BNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE SC OFFICE OF SCIENCE (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 1043996
• Report Number(s): BNL--97092-2012-JA; KP1602010
• Journal Information: Trends In Cognitive Sciences, Journal Name: Trends In Cognitive Sciences Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN 1364-6613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
DOPAMINE
ENERGY BALANCE
FOOD
Food intake
HYPOTHALAMUS
METABOLIC DISEASES
Obesity
SENSITIVITY
body mass index (BMI)
dopamine
hippocampus
hypothalamus
reward sensitivity