Scientists Reveal a Key Link between Brain Circuits Governing Hunger and Cravings

“BOSTON – The urge to satisfy hunger is a primal one, but – as any dieter knows – choices about when and what to eat can be influenced by cues in the environment, not just how long it’s been since breakfast. The fact that food-associated visual cues in television commercials and on highway signs can contribute to overeating is well-documented. But how exactly do these external signals trigger cravings and influence behavior? ...”
— Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Art meets science.

The Harvard Integrated Life Sciences have supported Kelly McGuire and Kelsey Adams (Catteruccia Lab) to host and curate Art/Image/Science, an art gallery and reception intending to bring scientists and non-scientists together to enjoy the diversity of the systems we explore. 

Show 1/6/17 - 3/3/17. Reception 2/23/17. CGIS Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02138.

 

Imaging the effects of hunger on the brain's response to food cues

“Our brain pays more attention to food when we are hungry than when we are sated. Now a team of scientists has shed light on how the needs of the body affect the way the brain processes visual food cues. In two newly-published studies, the researchers examined – with unprecedented resolution – the brain circuits responsible for the differences in the way the brain responds to visual food cues during hunger versus satiety.”
— ScienceDaily