The feeling of hunger pushes us towards the search for food without us being aware of the neural circuits which are activated during this time in our brain. For the first time, a study in mice shows how hunger hormones have a direct impact on hippocampal activity during these times. The results could contribute to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.
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Every living being must be able to control its eating behavior according to its needs. Consuming food when you are already full uses time and energy that could be devoted to other, more pressing functions. Overeating can also cause illness. Conversely, the inability to feel the need for food (or hunger) can lead to undernutrition and subsequent lack of fitness. Fortunately, there is a system in our brain that regulates these mechanisms, the main players in which are the hippocampus and ghrelin, a hunger hormone produced in the intestine.
It was brain activity in the lower (ventral) part of the hippocampus that interested scientists. It is a part of the brain that helps us form and use memories to guide our behavior depending on context. But how internal contexts, such as hunger, influence circuits in the hippocampus was not known.
A new study led by researchers from theUniversity College London sheds light on the mechanisms at play. We discovered that a part of the brain crucial for decision-making is surprisingly sensitive to the levels of hunger hormones produced in our gut, which we believe helps our brains contextualize our food choicesreport the authors of the research published in the journal Neuron. In this study, we investigated the role of the ventral hippocampus during feeding behavior in different hunger states in mice. »
What the study shows
For the experiment, “hungry” and “satiated” mice were placed near food. All mice spent time examining the food, but only the hungry ones started eating. Furthermore, the researchers studied the neuronal activity of mice using brain imaging.
They found that the activity of a subset of brain cells in the ventral hippocampus increased when the animals searched for food, and that this activity prevented the animal from eating. On the contrary, if the mouse was hungry, neuronal activity in this area decreased, promoting food intake. The researchers found that this corresponded to high levels of ghrelin circulating in the blood. “ These experiences define a ghrelin-sensitive hippocampal circuit that informs the decision to eat based on internal statethey write. The seahorse curbs the animal’s feeding instinct when it encounters food, to ensure that the animal does not overeat. But if the animal is indeed hungry, the hormones will tell the brain to turn off the brakes, so the animal eats. »
Application for the treatment of eating disorders
The results found could be used in the clinic, contributing to research on the mechanisms of eating disorders. There could be dysregulation of the braking system in people affected by these disorders.
On the other hand, scientists are continuing their research by examining whether hunger can impact learning or memory, by observing what non-food-specific tasks mice perform based on their hunger.
