Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst01:25

Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst

1.0K
Hunger and thirst are fundamental physiological drives crucial for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring the survival of both humans and animals. These drives are regulated through complex interactions between the brain, hormones, and sensory receptors.
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus...
1.0K
Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

12.9K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
12.9K
Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

239
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
239
What is Behavior?00:54

What is Behavior?

9.7K
Behaviors are actions that an organism engages in—they can be related to finding food, reproducing, defending against threats, and many other possible actions. Behaviors include activities related to the environment around the animal—such as migration—as well as social interactions within a species or population. Many behaviors involve motor output—that is, muscle movements—while others involve less visible actions, such as learning.
9.7K
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

18.6K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
18.6K
Regulation of Food Intake01:30

Regulation of Food Intake

1.7K
Short-term regulation of food intake primarily involves neural signals from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, blood nutrient levels, and GI tract hormones. Communication between the gut and brain via vagal nerve fibers plays a significant role in evaluating the contents of the gut. Clinical studies have shown that protein ingestion produces a more prolonged response in these nerve fibers compared to an equivalent amount of glucose. Additionally, the activation of stretch receptors caused by GI...
1.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Neuropeptide Y receptor modulation of dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens core.

Neuropeptides·2026
Same author

Circular RNA <i>circHomer1</i> mediates hippocampal functions via ribonucleoprotein granule transport and dendritic targeting of synaptic RNAs.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Cannabidiol Reduces D1 and D2 Medium Spiny Neuron Excitability in the Nucleus Accumbens Core.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain.

Nature·2025
Same author

A parabrachial hub for the prioritization of survival behavior.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Synaptic and cellular endocannabinoid signaling mechanisms regulate stress-induced plasticity of nucleus accumbens somatostatin neurons.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
12:09

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

23.9K

Hunger-driven adaptive prioritization of behavior.

Nicholas K Smith1, Brad A Grueter2,3,4,5,6

  • 1Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

The FEBS Journal
|February 25, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hunger, a vital signal, drives food intake and significantly alters nonfeeding behaviors like exploration and social interactions by influencing neural circuits. Understanding this adaptation is key to comprehending behavioral plasticity.

Keywords:
AGRP neuronsarcuate nucleusbehaviorfeedinghungermotivationneural circuits

More Related Videos

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

8.9K
Progressive-ratio Responding for Palatable High-fat and High-sugar Food in Mice
11:16

Progressive-ratio Responding for Palatable High-fat and High-sugar Food in Mice

Published on: May 3, 2012

22.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
12:09

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

23.9K
Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

8.9K
Progressive-ratio Responding for Palatable High-fat and High-sugar Food in Mice
11:16

Progressive-ratio Responding for Palatable High-fat and High-sugar Food in Mice

Published on: May 3, 2012

22.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Biology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Animals must adapt behaviors to internal and external changes for survival.
  • Hunger is a primary interoceptive signal that drives feeding through known neural circuits.
  • The integration of hunger into nonfeeding behaviors is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review behavioral plasticity downstream of hunger.
  • To present molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying hunger-driven behaviors.
  • To explore how hunger influences nonfeeding behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on hunger and behavior.
  • Compilation of identified and potential neural and molecular mechanisms.
  • Cataloguing of behavioral changes associated with hunger.

Main Results:

  • Hunger significantly impacts behavioral priorities, including increased exploration.
  • Hunger can decrease anxiety levels.
  • Social behavior is altered by the state of hunger.
  • Agouti-related peptide neurons in the hypothalamus are key in mediating hunger phenotypes.

Conclusions:

  • Hunger is a powerful modulator of diverse behaviors beyond feeding.
  • Understanding state-dependent modulation of neural circuits is crucial for behavioral adaptation.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate hunger's role in behavioral plasticity.