Neural, appetite, and cardiometabolic markers in those with and without food addiction: A pilot fMRI study

Investigating neural activity in response to core and non-core foods, as well as appetite and cardiometabolic biomarkers, may offer insight into why certain individuals are more vulnerable to develop food addiction (FA). This study aimed to investigate neural activation associated with FA during a food-related Go/No-Go functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task, as well as fasting blood biomarkers related to appetite regulation, stress, and cardiometabolic health. Adults aged 18-45, classified as FA (n = 10) or non-FA (n = 10) via the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, completed a fasting blood sample and Go/No-Go task within the MRI scanner. Blood lipids [total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides], glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and glucose, and appetite-related hormones [oxytocin, ghrelin, leptin, cholecystokinin (CCK) and cortisol] were taken. Nineteen participants completed the scans (mean age 28.2 ± 7.4y, 15 female). Individuals with FA showed greater activation in the right supramarginal gyrus, left angular gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus when withholding their button press for non-core food images (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.013 respectively). However, no significant differences between groups were identified for blood biomarkers of appetite, stress, or cardiometabolic health. Findings suggest that individuals with high YFAS scores required increased cognitive effort to suppress their responses towards non-core foods, which could increase their vulnerability to consumption of higher calorie foods. Future studies should investigate the role of inhibition and reward-related regions in individuals with FA through cumulative effects of visual, olfactory, and gustatory food cues to mimic the stimulation of all sensory components in the real-world food environment.