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van Meer F, van Steenbergen H, van Dillen LF. The effect of cognitive load on preference and intensity processing of sweet taste in the brain. Appetite 2023; 188:106630. [PMID: 37302413 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Distracted eating can cause overconsumption. Whereas previous work has shown that cognitive load suppresses perceived taste intensity and increases subsequent consumption, the mechanism behind distraction-induced overconsumption remains unclear. To elucidate this, we performed two event-related fMRI experiments that examined how cognitive load affects neural responses and perceived intensity and preferred intensity, respectively, to solutions varying in sweetness. In Experiment 1 (N = 24), participants tasted weak sweet and strong sweet glucose solutions and rated their intensity while we concurrently varied cognitive load using a digit-span task. In Experiment 2 (N = 22), participants tasted five different glucose concentrations under varying cognitive load and then indicated whether they wanted to keep, decrease or increase its sweetness. Participants in Experiment 1 rated strong sweet solutions as less sweet under high compared to low cognitive load, which was accompanied by attenuated activation the right middle insula and bilateral DLPFC. Psychophysiological interaction analyses showed that cognitive load moreover altered connectivity between the middle insula and nucleus accumbens and DLPFC and middle insula while tasting strong sweet solutions. In Experiment 2, cognitive load did not affect participants' preferred sweetness intensity. fMRI results revealed that cognitive load attenuated DLPFC activation for the strongest sweet solutions in the study. In conclusion, our behavioral and neuroimaging results suggest that cognitive load dampens the sensory processing of strong sweet solutions in particular, which may indicate higher competition for attentional resources for strong sweet than weak sweet solutions under high cognitive load. Implications for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor van Meer
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Lotte F van Dillen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Knowledge Centre for Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
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Ee C, Cave A, Vaddiparthi V, Naidoo D, Boyages J. Factors associated with weight gain after breast cancer: Results from a community-based survey of Australian women. Breast 2023:S0960-9776(23)00012-7. [PMID: 36710237 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Weight gain after breast cancer is common. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with weight gain after breast cancer in Australian women. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between November 2017 and January 2018. Women living in Australia who self-identified as having breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in-situ were eligible. We created stepwise linear and logistic regression models to evaluate predictors for absolute and clinically significant (≥5%) weight gain respectively. RESULTS Data from 276 women were analysed. Most were Caucasian and 92% had been diagnosed with Stage 0-III breast cancer. Absolute weight gain was associated with hot flushes, being in the menopausal transition at diagnosis, being less physically active than at diagnosis, lower eating self-efficacy when watching television or using a computer, and higher self-efficacy when anxious or nervous (F-ratio = 3.26, R2-adjusted = 0.16, p < .001). Clinically significant weight gain was associated with tamoxifen use (OR 2.7), being less physically active than at diagnosis (OR 3.1), and lower eating self-efficacy when watching television or using a computer (OR 0.82) (Chi-square 64.94, df = 16, p < .001). Weight gain was not associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, aromatase inhibitor use, number of lymph nodes removed, or body mass index at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to prevent weight gain after breast cancer, particularly aiming to maintain physical activity, should be targeted at women receiving tamoxifen. The role of eating self-efficacy, especially attentive eating, in managing weight after breast cancer should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Ee
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; LivingRoom, Chris O' Brien Lifehouse Cancer Centre, PO Box M33, Missenden Rd, Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Adele Cave
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vaishnavi Vaddiparthi
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dhevaksha Naidoo
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Boyages
- ICON Cancer Centre, Sydney Adventist Hospital, 185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Health and ANU College of Health & Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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van Meer F, de Vos F, Hermans RCJ, Peeters PA, van Dillen LF. Daily distracted consumption patterns and their relationship with BMI. Appetite 2022; 176:106136. [PMID: 35697153 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity has heightened the need for a better understanding of obesity-related eating patterns and dietary behaviours. Recent work suggests that distracted eating is causally related to increased immediate and later food, pushing the need for a better understanding of the prevalence of distracted consumption and how this relates to body weight. To extract insights in the relationship between demographics, daily consumption settings, and BMI, we performed secondary data analyses on data from 1011 individuals representative of the Dutch population (adults, 507F, BMI 17-50 kg/m2). The most commonly reported distractions were talking to others (32.7%) and watching television (21.7%). Only 18.4% of respondents reported no distractions during meals. To examine how different distractions related to BMI, we performed OLS regression which showed, among other things, that watching tv while eating lunch (η2 = 0.37) and working during dinner were associated with a higher BMI (η2 = 1.63). To examine the robustness of these findings, machine learning techniques were used. A random forest analysis (RMSE = 4.09) showed that next to age and education level, distraction during lunch and snack was amongst the largest predictors of BMI. Multiple linear regression with lasso penalty (RMSE = 4.13) showed that specifically watching tv while eating lunch or snacks was associated with a higher BMI. In conclusion, our analyses confirmed the assumption that people are regularly distracted during their daily meals, with distinct distractors relating to BMI. These findings provide a starting point for evidence-based recommendations on which consumption settings are associated with healthier eating patterns and body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor van Meer
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - Frank de Vos
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Roel C J Hermans
- NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | | | - Lotte F van Dillen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Knowledge Centre Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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Parent MB, Higgs S, Cheke LG, Kanoski SE. Memory and eating: A bidirectional relationship implicated in obesity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 132:110-129. [PMID: 34813827 PMCID: PMC8816841 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews evidence demonstrating a bidirectional relationship between memory and eating in humans and rodents. In humans, amnesia is associated with impaired processing of hunger and satiety cues, disrupted memory of recent meals, and overconsumption. In healthy participants, meal-related memory limits subsequent ingestive behavior and obesity is associated with impaired memory and disturbances in the hippocampus. Evidence from rodents suggests that dorsal hippocampal neural activity contributes to the ability of meal-related memory to control future intake, that endocrine and neuropeptide systems act in the ventral hippocampus to provide cues regarding energy status and regulate learned aspects of eating, and that consumption of hypercaloric diets and obesity disrupt these processes. Collectively, this evidence indicates that diet-induced obesity may be caused and/or maintained, at least in part, by a vicious cycle wherein excess intake disrupts hippocampal functioning, which further increases intake. This perspective may advance our understanding of how the brain controls eating, the neural mechanisms that contribute to eating-related disorders, and identify how to treat diet-induced obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marise B. Parent
- Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30303-5030, United States,Corresponding author: Marise B. Parent, , Georgia State University, PO Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30303-5030, USA. Fax: 404-413-5446
| | - Suzanne Higgs
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, BI5 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy G. Cheke
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB United Kingdom
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-0371, United States
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La Marra M, Caviglia G, Perrella R. Using Smartphones When Eating Increases Caloric Intake in Young People: An Overview of the Literature. Front Psychol 2020; 11:587886. [PMID: 33343462 PMCID: PMC7744612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.587886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent literature highlights that the use of smartphones during meals increases the number of calories ingested in young people. Although the distraction interferes with physiological signals of hunger and satiety, a social facilitation effect has also been suggested. Cognition is a pivotal component in regulating food intake, and activities requiring high perceptual demands should be discouraged during meals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Giorgio Caviglia
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
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Duif I, Wegman J, de Graaf K, Smeets PAM, Aarts E. Distraction decreases rIFG-putamen connectivity during goal-directed effort for food rewards. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19072. [PMID: 33149176 PMCID: PMC7643110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76060-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Distracted eating can lead to increased food intake, but it is unclear how. We aimed to assess how distraction affects motivated, goal-directed responses for food reward after satiation. Thirty-eight healthy normal-weight participants (28F; 10M) performed a visual detection task varying in attentional load (high vs. low distraction) during fMRI. Simultaneously, they exerted effort for sweet and savory food rewards by repeated button presses. Two fMRI runs were separated by sensory-specific satiation (outcome devaluation) of one of the (sweet or savory) reward outcomes, to assess outcome-sensitive, goal-directed, responses (valued vs. devalued reward, post vs. pre satiation). We could not verify our primary hypothesis that more distraction leads to less activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during goal-directed effort. Behaviorally, distraction also did not affect effort for food reward following satiation across subjects. For our secondary hypothesis, we assessed whether distraction affected other fronto-striatal regions during goal-directed effort. We did not obtain such effects at our whole-brain corrected threshold, but at an exploratory uncorrected threshold (p < 0.001), distraction decreased goal-directed responses (devalued vs. valued) in the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). We continued with this rIFG region for the next secondary hypothesis; specifically, that distraction would reduce functional connectivity with the fronto-striatal regions found in the previous analyses. Indeed, distraction decreased functional connectivity between the rIFG and left putamen for valued versus devalued food rewards (pFWE(cluster) < 0.05). In an exploratory brain-behavior analysis, we showed that distraction-sensitive rIFG-responses correlated negatively (r = - 0.40; p = 0.014) with the effect of distraction on effort. Specifically, decreased distraction-related rIFG-responses were associated with increased effort for food reward after satiation. We discuss the absence of distraction effects on goal-directed responses in vmPFC and in behavior across participants. Moreover, based on our significant functional connectivity and brain-behavior results, we suggest that distraction might attenuate the ability to inhibit responses for food reward after satiation by affecting the rIFG and its connection to the putamen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Duif
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Joost Wegman
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kees de Graaf
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul A M Smeets
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Image Sciences Institute and University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Esther Aarts
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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