Reward Region Responsivity Predicts Future Weight Gain and Moderating Effects of the TaqIA Allele.

Abstract

Because no large prospective study has investigated neural vulnerability factors that predict future weight gain we tested whether neural response to receipt and anticipated receipt of palatable food and monetary reward predicted body fat gain over 3-year follow-up in healthy-weight adolescent humans and whether the TaqIA polymorphism moderates these relations. Elevated reward activation in response to food cues predicted future body fat gain. Elevated reward response to food receipt predicted body fat gain for adolescents with a TaqIA A2/A2 allele and lower reward response predicted body fat gain for those with a TaqIA A1 allele. Results imply that too much or too little dopamine signaling and reward region responsivity increases risk for overeating.