Abstract
Over the past century, overwhelming evidence has emerged pointing to the hypothalamus of the central nervous system (CNS) as a crucial regulator of systemic control of metabolism, including appetite and feeding behavior. Appetite (or hunger) is a fundamental driver of survival, involving complex behaviors governed by various parts of the brain, including the cerebral cortex. Here, we provide an overview of basic metabolic principles affecting the CNS and discuss their relevance to physiological and pathological conditions of higher brain functions. These novel perspectives may well provide new insights into future research strategies to facilitate the development of novel therapies for treating mental illness.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
MeSH terms
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Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
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Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
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Cerebral Cortex / metabolism*
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Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
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Depression / drug therapy
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Depression / genetics
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Depression / metabolism*
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Depression / physiopathology
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Feeding Behavior / drug effects
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Feeding and Eating Disorders / drug therapy
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Feeding and Eating Disorders / genetics
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Feeding and Eating Disorders / metabolism*
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Feeding and Eating Disorders / physiopathology
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Gene Expression Regulation
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Ghrelin / genetics
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Ghrelin / metabolism
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Humans
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Hypothalamus / drug effects
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Hypothalamus / metabolism*
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Hypothalamus / physiopathology
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Insulin / genetics
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Insulin / metabolism
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Kruppel-Like Factor 4
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism
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Leptin / genetics
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Leptin / metabolism
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Obesity / genetics
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Obesity / metabolism*
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Obesity / physiopathology
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Obesity / prevention & control
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Serotonin / metabolism*
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Signal Transduction
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Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
Substances
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Antidepressive Agents
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Ghrelin
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Insulin
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Kruppel-Like Factor 4
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
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Leptin
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Serotonin