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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
Published on: July 30, 2017
Age-related functional changes in gustatory and reward processing regions: An fMRI study
Aaron Jacobson1, Erin Green, Claire Murphy
1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Neuroimage
|May 18, 2010
Summary
Older adults show greater brain activation in taste and reward regions when hungry compared to when full. This suggests unique neural processing of taste in aging, impacting appetite and nutrition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Appetite changes in older adults can lead to poor nutrition and weight fluctuations.
- Brain activity in taste and reward areas during hunger/satiety is known in young adults but not older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in brain activity during taste processing in hunger and satiety states.
- To explore how the brain's gustatory and reward systems function differently in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe brain activity.
- Participants (older and younger adults) tasted four solutions (caffeine, citric acid, sucrose, NaCl) in hungry and sated states.
- Participants rated the pleasantness of each taste stimulus.
Main Results:
- Both age groups showed increased insula activity when hungry.
- Hunger and satiety states differentially modulated brain activity, with positive activation during hunger and negative during satiety.
- Older adults exhibited more frequent and consistent positive activation in gustatory and reward regions when hungry.
Conclusions:
- Gustatory and reward processing show age-related differences, particularly in the hungry state.
- Brain regions not typically associated with taste were activated in older adults.
- Understanding these neural responses is crucial for addressing appetite, health, and functional changes in aging populations.
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