Eating behavior associated with gray matter volume alternations: A voxel based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Behavioral neuroscience
• Brain structure and function

Background:

• The relationship between eating behaviors and brain structure remains largely unknown.
• Understanding these connections is crucial for addressing body weight status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between eating behavior traits and brain structural changes.
• To explore how these changes relate to body weight status.

Main Methods:

• Utilized structural MRI data from an open dataset.
• Employed the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Scale to measure eating behavior traits.
• Applied Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) and multiple linear regression to analyze brain structure.

Main Results:

• Cognitive restraint positively correlated with gray matter volume (GMV) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and negatively with the putamen.
• Disinhibition scores negatively associated with GMV in the left middle frontal gyrus.
• Hunger scores showed varied correlations with GMV in the hypothalamus, visual memory areas, inferior temporal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus.

Conclusions:

• Eating behavior traits are closely linked to structural changes in specific brain regions.
• Findings contribute to understanding the neural basis of eating behaviors and their connection to body weight.
• Further conjunction analysis explored shared alterations related to eating behavior and weight status.