Summary: Researchers have identified neurons in the brains of rats that control future food intake by preserving memories of past meals. The findings suggest boosting meal memories could help to manage overeating and curb obesity.
Source: SfN.
Researchers have identified cells in the brains of male rats that appear to control future food intake by preserving memories of past meals. The study, published in eNeuro, lends support to the idea of boosting meal memories as a strategy for managing overeating.
Preliminary research suggests a role for two areas of the hippocampus in regulating future eating. Reilly Hannapel, Marise Parent, and colleagues found that inhibiting the activity of pyramidal neurons in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus during or after, but not before, a meal caused rats to start their next meal sooner. Interrupting the activity of these cells after the first meal additionally caused rats to consume more food during their next meal even though the activity of these cells was no longer disrupted.
The hippocampal cells manipulated in this study may help consolidate memory of the previous meal, which could serve as a satiation signal that outlasts appetite-regulating hormones to inform future eating behavior. By establishing a mechanism by which the hippocampus regulates eating, these findings could help to explain the link between hippocampal dysfunction and obesity.
Funding: The research was funded by the NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience.
Source: David Barnstone – SfN
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to Hannapel et al., eNeuro (2019).
Original Research: The study will appear in eNeuro.
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]SfN”Memory of Last Meal Influences How Much is Eaten Next: Rat Study.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 14 January 2019.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/eating-memory-10540/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]SfN(2019, January 14). Memory of Last Meal Influences How Much is Eaten Next: Rat Study. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved January 14, 2019 from https://neurosciencenews.com/eating-memory-10540/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]SfN”Memory of Last Meal Influences How Much is Eaten Next: Rat Study.” https://neurosciencenews.com/eating-memory-10540/ (accessed January 14, 2019).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
