Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study
Background: Although increased food cue reactivity is evidenced to be crucial to the development and maintenance of pediatric obesity, virtually nothing is known about the underlying neurophysiological aspects of food cue reactivity in children with obesity. Therefore, this study aimed at investigat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/12/1653 |
| _version_ | 1827641500972875776 |
|---|---|
| author | Christine Kösling Lisa Schäfer Claudia Hübner Caroline Sebert Anja Hilbert Ricarda Schmidt |
| author_facet | Christine Kösling Lisa Schäfer Claudia Hübner Caroline Sebert Anja Hilbert Ricarda Schmidt |
| author_sort | Christine Kösling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Although increased food cue reactivity is evidenced to be crucial to the development and maintenance of pediatric obesity, virtually nothing is known about the underlying neurophysiological aspects of food cue reactivity in children with obesity. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating neural characteristics in children with overweight or obesity using electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Electrophysiological brain activity was measured using EEG frequency band analysis in <i>n</i> = 9 children with overweight or obesity versus <i>n</i> = 16 children with normal weight (8–13 years) during the presentation of high- and low-calorie food pictures and images of appealing non-food stimuli. Results: Children with overweight or obesity showed significantly increased relative central beta band activity induced by high-calorie foods and appealing non-food stimuli compared to children with normal weight. Beyond significant effects of the scalp region on EEG activity, non-significant effects of stimulus category or weight status were seen for theta and alpha frequency bands. Conclusions: This study demonstrated elevated beta band activity in children with overweight or obesity when viewing high-calorie food stimuli. Beta band activity may, thus, be a valuable target for neuromodulatory interventions in children with overweight or obesity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:15:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e7b7344dba4749e2aff27d410ecad860 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:15:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-e7b7344dba4749e2aff27d410ecad8602023-11-24T13:39:25ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-12-011212165310.3390/brainsci12121653Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot StudyChristine Kösling0Lisa Schäfer1Claudia Hübner2Caroline Sebert3Anja Hilbert4Ricarda Schmidt5Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyIntegrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyIntegrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyIntegrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyIntegrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyIntegrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyBackground: Although increased food cue reactivity is evidenced to be crucial to the development and maintenance of pediatric obesity, virtually nothing is known about the underlying neurophysiological aspects of food cue reactivity in children with obesity. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating neural characteristics in children with overweight or obesity using electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Electrophysiological brain activity was measured using EEG frequency band analysis in <i>n</i> = 9 children with overweight or obesity versus <i>n</i> = 16 children with normal weight (8–13 years) during the presentation of high- and low-calorie food pictures and images of appealing non-food stimuli. Results: Children with overweight or obesity showed significantly increased relative central beta band activity induced by high-calorie foods and appealing non-food stimuli compared to children with normal weight. Beyond significant effects of the scalp region on EEG activity, non-significant effects of stimulus category or weight status were seen for theta and alpha frequency bands. Conclusions: This study demonstrated elevated beta band activity in children with overweight or obesity when viewing high-calorie food stimuli. Beta band activity may, thus, be a valuable target for neuromodulatory interventions in children with overweight or obesity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/12/1653brain activitychildhood obesityEEGfoodfrequency bands |
| spellingShingle | Christine Kösling Lisa Schäfer Claudia Hübner Caroline Sebert Anja Hilbert Ricarda Schmidt Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study Brain Sciences brain activity childhood obesity EEG food frequency bands |
| title | Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study |
| title_full | Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study |
| title_short | Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study |
| title_sort | food induced brain activity in children with overweight or obesity versus normal weight an electroencephalographic pilot study |
| topic | brain activity childhood obesity EEG food frequency bands |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/12/1653 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christinekosling foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy AT lisaschafer foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy AT claudiahubner foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy AT carolinesebert foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy AT anjahilbert foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy AT ricardaschmidt foodinducedbrainactivityinchildrenwithoverweightorobesityversusnormalweightanelectroencephalographicpilotstudy |