English
 
Help Privacy Policy Disclaimer
  Advanced SearchBrowse

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT

Released

Journal Article

Neuroimaging-Verfahren in der Adipositasforschung [Neuroimaging in obesity research]

MPS-Authors
/persons/resource/persons20065

Villringer,  Arno
Department Neurology, MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Max Planck Society;

External Resource
Fulltext (restricted access)
There are currently no full texts shared for your IP range.
Supplementary Material (public)
There is no public supplementary material available
Citation

Kabisch, S., Schlögl, H., Villringer, A., & Stumvoll, M. (2011). Neuroimaging-Verfahren in der Adipositasforschung [Neuroimaging in obesity research]. Journal für Klinische Endokrinologie und Stoffwechsel, 4(3), 32-39.


Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0012-1441-1
Abstract
Neuroimaging Technologies in Obesity Research. Neurological correlates of obesity have been extensively discussed and investigated over the last few years. Use of neuroima ging technology provides novel ap- proaches to obesity research. Among these, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) appear to be most promising. Due to the great variability of con- founding factors on brain development many selection criteria have to be fulfi lled in order to assure the reliability of a neuroimaging study. The number of highly capable MRI and PET in- vestigation centers is increasing, especially in large urban areas where highly characterized cohorts of subjects can be recruited. Recent in- vestigations have shown that the human brain receives and distributes homeostatic and he- donic impulses to regulate eating behavior. Both hunger and appetite are distinct aspects of the drive to eat originating in different brain areas, yet subject to a common regulating center. The responsible areas appear to be structurally and functionally altered in obesity, including chang- es in the reward system. Women and men (both lean and obese) seem to respond differentially to homeostatic and hedonic stimuli for hunger and satiety. The “hun ger networks” are affect- ed by genetic, biochemical, hormonal, neuronal, and other factors. For example ghrelin, peptide YY, and leptin are claimed to be endocrine sig- nals from the gastro intes ti nal tract and adipose tissue not only regulating metabolic activity and nutrient distribution but also possessing central nervous effects. These hormones act as short- time or long-time modulators of specifi c brain areas with homeostatic or hedonic power on food evaluation and eating behavior. Know- ing the interactions of certain brain regions in the regulation of hunger/appetite and satiety/ satiation will allow for the development of new therapeutic agents against obesity.