Brain affects different spheres of our lives, and our appetite and weight management are no exception.
New research reveals a direct relationship between disrupted connections in brain circuits responsible for memory and appetite regulation and body mass index, particularly in individuals dealing with disorders or overeating leading to obesity, such as binge eating disorder.
Let's find out more.
How our brain affects our appetite
The study, published in Nature, highlights that obese individuals exhibit impaired connections between the dorsolateral hippocampus and the lateral hypothalamus, potentially affecting their ability to control their emotional responses when anticipating delicious treats.
Previous research has linked obesity and related EDs to hippocampus dysfunction, but studying the hippocampus in these contexts has been challenging.
This research, however, monitored brain activity in patients already undergoing electrical monitoring in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
How it was conducted
When people anticipated a sweet treat, both the dlHPC and LH activated concurrently.
These findings were further confirmed by stimulation techniques.
Importantly, researchers discovered that in people with obesity, the impairment of this hypothalamus-hippocampus circuit was directly proportional to their BMI.
To validate the connection, the specialists used "brain clearing" to examine brain tissue and found melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a hormone linked to feeding behavior regulation, in the dlHPC.
This confirmed a link between the two regions.
The findings suggest that addressing the functioning of this critical brain circuit may offer new approaches to these complex issues.
