UCLA psychologists have made a fascinating discovery in the brains of mice: a specific brain circuit that drives them to seek out and eat food, even when they’re not hungry.
This urge is so strong that the mice prefer high-fat, pleasurable foods like chocolate over healthier options such as carrots.
This research, published in Nature Communications, might shed new light on the mechanisms behind eating behaviors and disorders in humans, as people have similar brain cells.
The team focused on a region of the mouse brainstem known as the periaqueductal gray (PAG), traditionally linked with panic rather than feeding.
This area is evolutionarily ancient, shared closely between humans and mice, suggesting that findings in mouse brains could have implications for understanding human behaviors.
While initially studying the role of the PAG in fear and anxiety, researchers stumbled upon this cluster of neurons, termed vgat PAG cells.
Unlike the broader activation of the PAG, which triggers a panic response, stimulating only these specific neurons did not induce fear. Instead, it prompted behaviors associated with foraging and feeding.
To investigate, the scientists used a genetically engineered virus to make these brain cells light-sensitive.
When they shone a laser on these neurons through a fiber-optic implant, it activated the cells, driving the mice to hunt for food (even live crickets) or follow moving non-food objects, indicating a strong drive to seek. This behavior persisted even in mice that had recently eaten to the point of satiation.
This phenomenon suggests that the behavior is driven more by the desire for rewarding food rather than actual hunger.
Mice activated by these neurons even chose to endure foot shocks to obtain fatty foods, highlighting the compulsive nature of their food-seeking behavior. Conversely, dampening the activity of these cells reduced the mice’s inclination to forage, even when they were genuinely hungry.
The discovery could have significant implications for understanding human eating disorders.
If similar circuits function in humans, it might explain why some people feel a strong compulsion to eat, even when not hungry, particularly craving high-calorie “junk” foods over healthier options.
Conversely, a less active circuit might contribute to conditions like anorexia, where there is a diminished pleasure in eating.
Future research based on these findings could pave the way for new treatments targeting specific types of eating disorders, offering hope for more effective management of these conditions.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity, and the harm of vitamin D deficiency you need to know.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about the connection between potatoes and high blood pressure, and results showing why turmeric is a health game-changer.
The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
Copyright © 2024 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
