Abstract
Hypothalamus (HT), this small structure often perceived through the prism of neuroimaging as morphologically and functionally homogeneous, plays a key role in the primitive act of feeding. The current paper aims at reviewing the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of the role of the HT in food intake regulation. It focuses on the different MRI techniques that have been used to describe structurally and functionally the Human HT. The latest advances in HT parcellation as well as perspectives in this field are presented. The value of MRI in the study of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and obesity are also highlighted.
Highlights
Energy expenditure appears as a continuous process, while energy refilling through food intake is by nature discontinuous
Very few structural hypothalamic abnormalities have been observed in obesity, while whole brain morphometry showed subtle gray matter (GM) atrophy in some regions of the frontal lobe implicated in behavioral control such as the post-central gyrus, the frontal operculum as well as the putamen which is involved in the regulation of taste and reward [56,57,58]
These findings suggest that connectivity within the control network is reduced whereas connectivity between salience-related systems is increased in anorexia nervosa (AN)
Summary
Hypothalamus (HT), this small structure often perceived through the prism of neuroimaging as morphologically and functionally homogeneous, plays a key role in the primitive act of feeding. The current paper aims at reviewing the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of the role of the HT in food intake regulation. It focuses on the different MRI techniques that have been used to describe structurally and functionally the Human HT. The latest advances in HT parcellation as well as perspectives in this field are presented. The value of MRI in the study of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and obesity are highlighted
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