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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 7, 2009, 29(1):43-51; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4966-08.2009

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Personality Predicts the Brain's Response to Viewing Appetizing Foods: The Neural Basis of a Risk Factor for Overeating

Luca Passamonti,^1,2 James B. Rowe,^1,3,5 Christian Schwarzbauer,^1,4 Michael P. Ewbank,¹ Elisabeth von dem Hagen,¹ and Andrew J. Calder¹

¹Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom, ²Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 87050 Piano Lago di Mangone (Cosenza), Italy, Departments of ³Clinical Neurosciences and ⁴Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, United Kingdom, and ⁵Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Dr. Luca Passamonti, Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 87050 Piano Lago di Mangone (Cosenza), Italy, Email: l.passamonti{at}isn.cnr.it; or Dr. Andrew J. Calder, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK, Email: andy.calder{at}mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

Eating is not only triggered by hunger but also by the sight of foods. Viewing appetizing foods alone can induce food craving and eating, although there is considerable variation in this "external food sensitivity" (EFS). Because increased EFS is associated with overeating, identifying its neural correlates is important for understanding the current epidemic of obesity. Animal research has identified the ventral striatum, amygdala, hypothalamus, medial prefrontal and premotor cortices as key interacting structures for feeding. However, it is unclear whether a similar network exists in humans and how it is affected by EFS. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we showed that viewing appetizing compared with bland foods produced changes in connectivity among the human ventral striatum, amygdala, anterior cingulate and premotor cortex that were strongly correlated with EFS. Differences in the dynamic interactions within the human appetitive network in response to pictures of appetizing foods may determine an individual's risk of obesity.

Key words: connectivity; fMRI; food; emotion; amygdala; striatum; cingulate cortex

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Received Oct. 15, 2008; revised Nov. 14, 2008; accepted Nov. 16, 2008.

Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Dr. Luca Passamonti, Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 87050 Piano Lago di Mangone (Cosenza), Italy, Email: l.passamonti{at}isn.cnr.it; or Dr. Andrew J. Calder, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK, Email: andy.calder{at}mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

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