Navigation
The outward spiral: A vicious cycle model of obesity and cognitive dysfunction
Hargrave et. al (2016) explains that one of the roles of the hippocampus is to inhibit responding to previously rewarded cues with the use of context such as interoceptive satiety states. Constantly consuming during states of positive energy balance leads to weight gain and obesity. Research has implicated Western diets in several types of hippocampal dysfunction including reduced expression of neurotrophins (induce neural survival, development and function) and nutrient transporters, increased inflammation, microglial activation (involved in immune response), and blood brain barrier permeability. Since hippocampal dysfunction is associated with an animal’s inability to modulate responding to previously reinforced cue, this paper proposes that such deficits promote overeating, which can exacerbate hippocampal impairment, and start a vicious cycle of obesity and cognitive decline. [NPID: interoception, interoceptive awareness, hippocampus, reward, satiety, weight gain, obesity, Western-style diet, inflammation, microglial activation, blood brain barrier, hippocampal dysfunction, overeating, cognitive decline]
Year: 2016
