Abstract
To date, few studies have explored the neurochemical mechanisms supporting individual differences in food preference in humans. Here we investigate how dorsal striatal dopamine, as measured by the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [18F]fluorometatyrosine (FMT), correlates with food-related decision-making, as well as body mass index (BMI) in 16 healthy-weight to moderately obese individuals. We find that lower PET FMT dopamine synthesis binding potential correlates with higher BMI, greater preference for perceived “healthy” foods, but also greater healthiness ratings for food items. These findings further substantiate the role of dorsal striatal dopamine in food-related behaviors and shed light on the complexity of individual differences in food preference.
Highlights
Modern society is surrounded by an overabundance and a widevariety of food choices, which in part contributes to the growing overweight population in the United States [1]
We first tested whether a significant relationship exists between caudate positron emission tomography (PET) FMT dopamine synthesis values and body mass index (BMI) measurements across 16 individuals
We found a significant negative correlation between caudate PET FMT dopamine synthesis values and BMI, with higher BMI individuals having lower dopamine synthesis (Figure 2A: PET FMT raw images of higher and lower BMI individuals; Figure 2B: right caudate, r = 20.66, p = 0.014, left caudate: r = 20.22, p = 0.46 (not significant (n.s.)), controlled for age, sex and any changes in BMI from PET FMT dopamine synthesis scan to behavioral testing)
Summary
Modern society is surrounded by an overabundance and a widevariety of food choices, which in part contributes to the growing overweight population in the United States [1]. Dorsal striatal dopamine has been shown to play a role in motivation for food in both human and animal models [5,6,7], yet the relationship between dopamine and food desirability or preferences in humans has not been thoroughly explored. Studies that utilize PET ligands that bind dopamine receptors have shown correlations with BMI, in both positive [8] and negative [9] directions, and not all studies find significant associations (for review see [10]). Due to the nature of these PET ligands that are dependent on the state of endogenous dopamine release, it is difficult to interpret relationships between striatal dopamine and BMI. To complement previous studies that have utilized PET ligands that bind dopamine receptors, here we used a stable measurement of presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity with the PET ligand [18F]fluorometatyrosine (FMT) that has been extensively studied in human and animal models [11,12,13,14]
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