Asymmetric prefrontal cortex activation in relation to markers of overeating in obese humans

Abstract

Dietary restraint is heavily influenced by affect, which has been independently related to asymmetrical activation in the prefrontal cortex (prefrontal asymmetry) in electroencephalograph (EEG) studies. In normal weight individuals, dietary restraint has been related to prefrontal asymmetry; however, this relationship was not mediated by affect. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that, in an overweight and obese sample, dietary restraint as well as binge eating, disinhibition, hunger, and appetitive responsivity would be related to prefrontal asymmetry independent of affect at the time of assessment. Resting EEG recordings and self-report measures of overeating and affect were collected in 28 overweight and obese adults. Linear regression analyses were used to predict prefrontal asymmetry from appetitive measures while controlling for affect. Cognitive restraint and binge eating were not associated with prefrontal asymmetry. However, disinhibition, hunger, and appetitive responsivity predicted left-, greater than right-, sided prefrontal cortex activation independent of affect. Findings in this study add to a growing literature implicating the prefrontal cortex in the cognitive control of dietary intake. Further research to specify the precise role of prefrontal asymmetry in the motivation toward, and cessation of, feeding in obese individuals is encouraged.

Spontaneous EEG activity and spontaneous emotion regulation

“…In a subsequent study conducted by the same research group , only right-sided parietal activity in the β2 (13-30 Hz) frequency range was a significant predictor of decreased AC. In any case, in both studies Morillas-Romero et al, 2013), results regarding the role of the parietal cortex fit with previous literature claiming that this brain area is critically involved in attentional capabilities (Kanai et al, 2011;Mevorach et al, 2009;Ochner et al, 2009;Posner and Rothbart, 2009) and processes (Deiber et al, 2007;McRae et al, 2010;Schutter et al, 2001;Szczepanski and Kastner, 2013) which, in turn, seem to be crucial to regulate emotions.…”

Connectivity-based parcellation reveals interhemispheric differences in the insula

“…Our findings imply that connections of the anterior insula have larger leftward representation relative to the total insular gray matter volume; this leftward dominance of prefrontal and frontal connections coincides with the observations on forebrain asymmetry (Craig 2005) or lateralization of prefrontal activations, the latter already described as a biomarker for ingestive behaviour (Ochner et al 2009). Our result of a larger connectome of the left AI partially conflicts with the observation by Cauda et al (2011) where it was shown that the anterior cluster is rightward dominant; however, this type of interhemispheric dominance is marked by the strength (degree of temporal correlation) of functional and not structural connectivity.…”

Delayed discounting and hedonic hunger in the prediction of lab-based eating behavior

“…a dessert after dinner), but some experience more persistent preoccupation with palatable foods, defined as hedonic hunger (Finlayson, King, & Blundell, 2007;Lowe & Levine, 2005). The Power of Food Scale (PFS Lowe et al, 2009) measures this construct and is associated with frequency and intensity of food craving (Forman et al, 2007), as well as the development (Lowe et al, under review) and severity of binge eating in obese (Ochner, Green, van Steenburgh, Kounios, & Lowe, 2009) and eating disordered populations (Witt & Lowe, 2014).…”