Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic
Christine Kösling1, Lisa Schäfer1, Claudia Hübner1
1Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Insights
Children with overweight or obesity exhibit heightened beta band brain activity when viewing high-calorie foods. This finding suggests beta band activity as a potential target for interventions in pediatric obesity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Obesity Research
- Brain Activity Analysis
Background:
- Increased food cue reactivity is linked to pediatric obesity development and maintenance.
- Neurophysiological underpinnings of food cue reactivity in obese children remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neural characteristics in children with overweight or obesity using electroencephalography (EEG).
- To explore differences in brain activity in response to food and non-food stimuli between normal-weight and overweight/obese children.
Main Methods:
- EEG frequency band analysis was employed.
- Participants included 9 children with overweight/obesity and 16 normal-weight children (ages 8-13).
- Brain activity was measured during the presentation of high-calorie, low-calorie food images, and appealing non-food images.
Main Results:
- Children with overweight or obesity displayed significantly increased relative central beta band activity when viewing high-calorie foods and appealing non-food stimuli.
- No significant differences in theta and alpha frequency bands were observed based on weight status or stimulus category.
- Scalp region significantly affected EEG activity.
Conclusions:
- Elevated beta band activity was observed in children with overweight or obesity when exposed to high-calorie food stimuli.
- Beta band activity emerges as a potential neuromodulatory target for interventions in pediatric overweight and obesity.
Background:
Although increased food cue reactivity is evidenced to be crucial to the development and maintenance of pediatric obesity, virtually nothing is known about the underlying neurophysiological aspects of food cue reactivity in children with obesity. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating neural characteristics in children with overweight or obesity using electroencephalography (EEG).
Methods:
Electrophysiological brain activity was measured using EEG frequency band analysis in n = 9 children with overweight or obesity versus n = 16 children with normal weight (8-13 years) during the presentation of high- and low-calorie food pictures and images of appealing non-food stimuli.
Results:
Children with overweight or obesity showed significantly increased relative central beta band activity induced by high-calorie foods and appealing non-food stimuli compared to children with normal weight. Beyond significant effects of the scalp region on EEG activity, non-significant effects of stimulus category or weight status were seen for theta and alpha frequency bands.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated elevated beta band activity in children with overweight or obesity when viewing high-calorie food stimuli. Beta band activity may, thus, be a valuable target for neuromodulatory interventions in children with overweight or obesity.
