scholarly journals The Orbitofrontal Cortex, Food Reward, Body Weight, and Obesity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund T Rolls
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Reward Systems ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Inferior Temporal Visual Cortex ◽  
Affective Value ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Great Development

Abstract In primates including humans, the orbitofrontal cortex is the key brain region representing the reward value and subjective pleasantness of the sight, smell, taste and texture of food. At stages of processing before this, in the insular taste cortex and inferior temporal visual cortex, the identity of the food is represented, but not its affective value. In rodents, the whole organisation of reward systems appears to be different, with reward value reflected earlier in processing systems. In primates and humans, the amygdala is overshadowed by the great development of the orbitofrontal cortex. Social and cognitive factors exert a top-down influence on the orbitofrontal cortex, to modulate the reward value of food that is represented in the orbitofrontal cortex. Recent evidence shows that even in the resting state, with no food present as a stimulus, the liking for food, and probably as a consequence of that body mass index, is correlated with the functional connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This suggests that individual differences in these orbitofrontal cortex reward systems contribute to individual differences in food pleasantness, and obesity. Implications of how these reward systems in the brain operate for understanding, preventing, and treating obesity are described.

scholarly journals Brain mechanisms underlying flavour and appetite

2006 ◽  
Vol 361 (1471) ◽  
pp. 1123-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund T Rolls
Keyword(s):  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Subjective Ratings ◽  
Visual Inputs ◽  
Independent Information ◽  
Frontal Operculum ◽  
Affective Value ◽  
Taste And Smell ◽  
The Brain

Complementary neurophysiological recordings in macaques and functional neuroimaging in humans show that the primary taste cortex in the rostral insula and adjoining frontal operculum provides separate and combined representations of the taste, temperature and texture (including viscosity and fat texture) of food in the mouth independently of hunger and thus of reward value and pleasantness. One synapse on, in the orbitofrontal cortex, these sensory inputs are for some neurons combined by learning with olfactory and visual inputs. Different neurons respond to different combinations, providing a rich representation of the sensory properties of food. In the orbitofrontal cortex, feeding to satiety with one food decreases the responses of these neurons to that food, but not to other foods, showing that sensory-specific satiety is computed in the primate (including human) orbitofrontal cortex. Consistently, activation of parts of the human orbitofrontal cortex correlates with subjective ratings of the pleasantness of the taste and smell of food. Cognitive factors, such as a word label presented with an odour, influence the pleasantness of the odour and the activation produced by the odour in the orbitofrontal cortex. These findings provide a basis for understanding how what is in the mouth is represented by independent information channels in the brain; how the information from these channels is combined; and how and where the reward and subjective affective value of food is represented and is influenced by satiety signals. Activation of these representations in the orbitofrontal cortex may provide the goal for eating, and understanding them helps to provide a basis for understanding appetite and its disorders.

Musical Expertise and Brain Structure: The Causes and Consequences of Training

2019 ◽  
pp. 417-438
Author(s):  
Virginia B. Penhune
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Music Training ◽  
Motor Network ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
The Brain

Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that music training can change brain structure, predominantly in the auditor-motor network that underlies music performance. The chapter argues that the observed differences in brain structure between experts and novices, and the changes that occur with training derive from at least four sources: first, pre-existing individual differences that promote certain skills; second, lengthy and consistent training which likely produces structural changes in the brain networks tapped by performance; third, practice during specific periods of development which may result in changes that do not occur at other periods of time; fourth, the rewarding nature of music itself, as well as the reward value of practice which may make music training a particularly effective driver of brain plasticity.

Individual Uniqueness in the Neonatal Functional Connectome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiushi Wang ◽  
Yuehua Xu ◽  
Tengda Zhao ◽  
Zhilei Xu ◽  
Yong He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Functional Connectome ◽  
Middle Range ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Identification Analysis ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The functional connectome is highly distinctive in adults and adolescents, underlying individual differences in cognition and behavior. However, it remains unknown whether the individual uniqueness of the functional connectome is present in neonates, who are far from mature. Here, we utilized the multiband resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 40 healthy neonates from the Developing Human Connectome Project and a split-half analysis approach to characterize the uniqueness of the functional connectome in the neonatal brain. Through functional connectome-based individual identification analysis, we found that all the neonates were correctly identified, with the most discriminative regions predominantly confined to the higher-order cortices (e.g., prefrontal and parietal regions). The connectivities with the highest contributions to individual uniqueness were primarily located between different functional systems, and the short- (0–30 mm) and middle-range (30–60 mm) connectivities were more distinctive than the long-range (>60 mm) connectivities. Interestingly, we found that functional data with a scanning length longer than 3.5 min were able to capture the individual uniqueness in the functional connectome. Our results highlight that individual uniqueness is present in the functional connectome of neonates and provide insights into the brain mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognition and behavior later in life.

scholarly journals Cultural variation in the gray matter volume of the prefrontal cortex is moderated by the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4)

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 3922-3931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinggang Yu ◽  
Nobuhito Abe ◽  
Anthony King ◽  
Carolyn Yoon ◽  
Israel Liberzon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Dopamine D4 Receptor ◽  
East Asians ◽  
European Americans ◽  
The Difference ◽  
D4 Receptor ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Recent evidence suggests a systematic cultural difference in the volume/thickness of prefrontal regions of the brain. However, origins of this difference remain unclear. Here, we addressed this gap by adopting a unique genetic approach. People who carry the 7- or 2-repeat (7/2-R) allele of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) are more sensitive to environmental influences, including cultural influences. Therefore, if the difference in brain structure is due to cultural influences, it should be moderated by DRD4. We recruited 132 young adults (both European Americans and Asian-born East Asians). Voxel-based morphometry showed that gray matter (GM) volume of the medial prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex was significantly greater among European Americans than among East Asians. Moreover, the difference in GM volume was significantly more pronounced among carriers of the 7/2-R allele of DRD4 than among non-carriers. This pattern was robust in an alternative measure assessing cortical thickness. A further exploratory analysis showed that among East Asian carriers, the number of years spent in the U.S. predicted increased GM volume in the orbitofrontal cortex. The present evidence is consistent with a view that culture shapes the brain by mobilizing epigenetic pathways that are gradually established through socialization and enculturation.

scholarly journals I know that I don’t know: Structural and functional connectivity underlying meta-ignorance in pre-schoolers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Filevich ◽  
Caroline Garcia Forlim ◽  
Carmen Fehrman ◽  
Carina Forster ◽  
Markus Paulus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Default Mode Network ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Gyrus ◽  
Partial Knowledge ◽  
Metacognitive Monitoring ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Gyrus ◽  
Knowledge Condition ◽  
The Brain

Research Highlights[1] Children develop the ability to report that they do not know something at around five years of age.[2] Children who could correctly report their own ignorance in a partial-knowledge task showed thicker cortices within medial orbitofrontal cortex.[3] This region was functionally connected to parts of the default-mode network.[4] The default-mode network might support the development of correct metacognitive monitoring.AbstractMetacognition plays a pivotal role in human development. The ability to realize that we do not know something, or meta-ignorance, emerges after approximately five years of age. We aimed at identifying the brain systems that underlie the developmental emergence of this ability in a preschool sample.Twenty-four children aged between five and six years answered questions under three conditions of a meta-ignorance task twice. In the critical partial knowledge condition, an experimenter first showed two toys to a child, then announced that she would place one of them in a box behind a screen, out of sight from the child. The experimenter then asked the child whether or not she knew which toy was in the box.Children who answered correctly both times to the metacognitive question in the partial knowledge condition (n=9) showed greater cortical thickness in a cluster within left medial orbitofrontal cortex than children who did not (n=15). Further, seed-based functional connectivity analyses of the brain during resting state revealed that this region is functionally connected to the medial orbitofrontal gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus and precuneus, and mid- and inferior temporal gyri.This finding suggests that the default mode network, critically through its prefrontal regions, supports introspective processing. It leads to the emergence of metacognitive monitoring allowing children to explicitly report their own ignorance.

scholarly journals Uncontrolled Eating in Healthy Women Has Limited Influence on Food Reward Sensitivity and Food-Related Inhibitory Control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Grol ◽  
Luis Cásedas ◽  
Danna Oomen ◽  
Desirée Spronk ◽  
Elaine Fox
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Reward Sensitivity ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
High Tendency ◽  
Healthy Women ◽  
Uncontrolled Eating

Uncontrolled eating—in the general population—is characterized by overeating, hedonic hunger and being drawn towards palatable foods. Theoretically, it is the result of a strong food reward signal in relation to a poor ability to exert inhibitory control. How food consumption influences inhibitory control and food reward sensitivity, and how this relates to the continued urge to eat, remains unclear though. We used fMRI (N=40) in order to investigate the neural mechanism underlying food reward sensitivity and food-specific response inhibition (go-nogo task), by comparing women reporting high versus low/average uncontrolled eating across two sessions: during an inter-meal hunger state and after consumption of a high-caloric snack. We found no effects of individual differences in uncontrolled eating, food consumption, nor their interaction on food reward sensitivity. Differences in uncontrolled eating and food consumption did interact in modulating activity in the left superior occipital gyrus during response inhibition of non-food stimuli, an area previously associated with successful nogo- vs. go-trials. Yet, behavioural performance on the go-nogo task was not modulated by uncontrolled eating nor food consumption. Women with a low/average tendency for uncontrolled eating may need more cognitive resources to support successful response inhibition of non-food stimuli during food ‘go’ blocks in an inter-meal hunger state, whereas women with a high tendency for uncontrolled eating showed this after food consumption. Considering current and previous findings, it seems that individual differences in uncontrolled eating in healthy women have only limited influence on food reward sensitivity and food-related inhibitory control, whereas differences in weight status (e.g., obesity) may have more impact.

scholarly journals Values Encoded in Orbitofrontal Cortex Are Causally Related to Economic Choices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Ballesta ◽  
Weikang Shi ◽  
Katherine E. Conen ◽  
Camillo Padoa-Schioppa
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Fundamental Issue ◽  
High Current ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Economic Choices ◽  
The Brain

AbstractIt has long been hypothesized that economic choices rely on the assignment and comparison of subjective values. Indeed, when agents make decisions, neurons in orbitofrontal cortex encode the values of offered and chosen goods. Moreover, neuronal activity in this area suggests the formation of a decision. However, it is unclear whether these neural processes are causally related to choices. More generally, the evidence linking economic choices to value signals in the brain remains correlational. We address this fundamental issue using electrical stimulation in rhesus monkeys. We show that suitable currents bias choices by increasing the value of individual offers. Furthermore, high-current stimulation disrupts both the computation and the comparison of subjective values. These results demonstrate that values encoded in orbitofrontal cortex are causal to economic choices.

Drug addiction: Functional neurotoxicity of the brain reward systems

2001 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedbert Weiss ◽  
George F. Koob
Keyword(s):  
Drug Addiction ◽  
Reward Systems ◽  
Brain Reward ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Network Neuroscience and Personality

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Markett ◽  
Christian Montag ◽  
Martin Reuter
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Nervous Systems ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Network Neuroscience

AbstractPersonality and individual differences originate from the brain. Despite major advances in the affective and cognitive neurosciences, however, it is still not well understood how personality and single personality traits are represented within the brain. Most research on brain-personality correlates has focused either on morphological aspects of the brain such as increases or decreases in local gray matter volume, or has investigated how personality traits can account for individual differences in activation differences in various tasks. Here, we propose that personality neuroscience can be advanced by adding a network perspective on brain structure and function, an endeavor that we label personality network neuroscience.With the rise of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the establishment of connectomics as a theoretical framework for structural and functional connectivity modeling, and recent advancements in the application of mathematical graph theory to brain connectivity data, several new tools and techniques are readily available to be applied in personality neuroscience. The present contribution introduces these concepts, reviews recent progress in their application to the study of individual differences, and explores their potential to advance our understanding of the neural implementation of personality.Trait theorists have long argued that personality traits are biophysical entities that are not mere abstractions of and metaphors for human behavior. Traits are thought to actually exist in the brain, presumably in the form of conceptual nervous systems. A conceptual nervous system refers to the attempt to describe parts of the central nervous system in functional terms with relevance to psychology and behavior. We contend that personality network neuroscience can characterize these conceptual nervous systems on a functional and anatomical level and has the potential do link dispositional neural correlates to actual behavior.

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