Ventromedial prefrontal cortex mediates sex differences in persistent cognitive drive for food
Lauren C Anderson1,2, Gorica D Petrovich3
1Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Scientific Reports
|February 4, 2018
Summary
Sex differences in brain function influence persistent food seeking. Silencing the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) stopped food cue renewal in males, while stimulating it induced renewal in females, revealing distinct vmPFC roles.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Modern environments present constant food cues, often triggering appetite without hunger, leading to unhealthy eating patterns.
- Learned behaviors, like seeking food, can persist and resurface even after extinction, contributing to maladaptive eating.
- Behavioral renewal paradigms help understand how food cues drive persistent motivation and hinder changes in eating habits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-based differences in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) role during context-mediated renewal of food cue responses.
- To explore the causal function of the vmPFC in persistent food-seeking behavior, relevant to obesity and eating disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rat model exhibiting persistent food motivation.
- Employed Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to manipulate vmPFC neuronal activity.
- Silenced vmPFC neurons in males and stimulated them in females during the renewal phase.
Main Results:
- Males showed renewal of food cue responding, while females did not, consistent with prior findings.
- Silencing the vmPFC in males abolished the renewal of food cue responding.
- Stimulating the vmPFC in females induced the renewal of food cue responding.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated significant sex differences in the causal function of the vmPFC in a food-seeking renewal model.
- Findings highlight the vmPFC's distinct roles in males and females regarding environmentally driven appetites.
- Results have implications for understanding and treating obesity and eating disorders linked to persistent food motivation.
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