![]() Next the team presented rats with a different set of options-either the maltodextrin drink or plain water. The activated neurons were in an area called the ventral pallidum, a spot long associated with reward and pleasure perception but thought to play more of a secondary role. Meanwhile, the team mapped the rats' brain activity precisely at the moment the animals realized which drink they'd gotten, pinpointing the neurons that registered the excitement for sucrose, and the disappointment for maltodextrin. Over several days, the rats were given either one drink or the other. The rats preferred the one made with sucrose over the one with maltodextrin, and when they received sucrose, they'd lick it faster. ![]() To study this question, researchers gave rats two similar sugary drinks. Even if we can have both, Ottenheimer says, the dish that's the favorite will likely be eaten faster and with bigger bites. #Brain buffet mac#This might seem automatic as you move down a buffet line, but when someone is considering either mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, the brain must quickly determine which of those quite similar choices would be most rewarding. It's a situation people face daily-if not at buffets or potlucks, then when looking over restaurant menus or at what's in the refrigerator. The research team wanted to know how the brain determines what and how much to eat when someone has several good food options. "The level of brain activity we saw exceeded our expectations by far." ![]() "We found a region in the brain that reflects our perception of food in a strikingly dominant way," said lead author David Ottenheimer, a Hopkins graduate student studying neuroscience. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |