BALTIMORE -- Magnetic stimulation of a brain area involved in "executive function" affects cravings for and consumption of calorie-dense snack foods, according a study in the September issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
After stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), young women experience increased cravings for high-calorie snacks—and eat more of those foods when given the opportunity, said the study by researchers at University of Waterloo, Ont., Canada.
"These findings shed a light on the role of the DLPFC in food cravings (specifically reward anticipation), the consumption of appealing high-caloric foods, and the relation between self-control and food consumption," said senior author Peter Hall.
The study included 21 healthy young women, selected because they reported strong and frequent cravings for chocolate and potato chips.
The women were shown pictures of these foods to stimulate cravings. The researchers then applied a type of magnetic stimulation, called continuous theta-burst stimulation, to decrease activity in the DLPFC. Previous studies have suggested that DLPFC activity plays a role in regulating food cravings.
After theta-burst stimulation, the women reported stronger food cravings—specifically for "appetitive" milk chocolate and potato chips. During a subsequent "taste test," they consumed more of these foods, rather than alternative, less-appetitive foods (dark chocolate and soda crackers).
Click here to read The Effects of Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation to the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Executive Function, Food Cravings & Snack Food Consumption.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, publishes the journal.
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