Do you grab a fork and take a first bite of cake, or say no and walk away? Our motivation to eat is driven by a complex web of cells in the brain that use signals from within the body, as well as sensory information about the food in front of us, to determine our behaviors.
Scripps Research InstituteJul 11 2024 Now, Scripps Research scientists have identified a group of neurons in a small and understudied region of the brain-;the parasubthalamic nucleus -;that controls when an animal decides to take a first bite of food.
In our study, we used a technique that let us turn on cells in the mouse brain that were activated by a specific experience-;in this case, binge-eating. Once we have captured this ensemble of PSTN cells, we can turn them on like a light switch and watch what happens to the animals' eating and drinking." The research team found that the ensemble of cells sensitive to binge-eating were capable of drastically changing the behavior of mice.
Related StoriesBy manipulating even smaller sets of cells within the PSTN, the team pieced apart exactly which groups of cells were responsible for the delayed eating and accelerated drinking. They also discovered that yet another group of PSTN cells drives a different effect, urging the mice to eat more sweet foods.
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