Blunted striatal responses to favorite-food cues in smokers

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Jan 1:146:103-6. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.006. Epub 2014 Sep 18.

Abstract

Background: Although tobacco-smoking is associated with relatively leaner body mass and smoking cessation with weight gain, the brain mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. Smokers compared to non-smokers have shown diminished neural responses to non-tobacco rewarding stimuli (e.g., monetary rewards), but brain responses to favorite-food cues have not been investigated relative to smoking status. We hypothesized that smokers would exhibit diminished neural responses compared to non-smokers in response to favorite-food cues in motivation-reward and emotion-regulating regions of the brain.

Methods: Twenty-three smokers and 23 non-smokers matched based on body mass index (BMI), age, and gender listened to personalized favorite-food cue, stress, and neutral-relaxing audiotapes during fMRI.

Results: During favorite-food cue exposure, smokers versus non-smokers exhibited diminished activations in the caudate, putamen, insula, and thalamus. Neural responses during stress and neutral-relaxing conditions were similar across groups. Subjective food-craving ratings were similar across groups.

Conclusions: The relatively diminished neural responses to favorite-food cues in smokers may contribute to lower BMI.

Keywords: BMI; Food cues; Smoking; fMRI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Craving / physiology*
  • Cues*
  • Female
  • Food
  • Functional Neuroimaging
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neostriatum / physiopathology*
  • Smoking / physiopathology*
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Thalamus / physiopathology*
  • Young Adult