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Brain Mechanisms of Hunger
Brain Mechanisms of Hunger
Brain Mechanisms of Hunger
OF HUNGER
DEVIKA RAJAN
1 ST MSC. PSYCHOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
Hunger depends on :
-the contents of our stomach & intestine
- availability of glucose to the cells
- body’s fat supplies
- health
- body temperature.
• Appetite depends on more than your need for food.
ARCUATE NULEUS
This odd-looking word takes its name from the fact that it
binds to the same receptors as growth-hormone releasing
hormone (GHRH).
The stomach releases ghrelin during a period of food
deprivation, where it triggers stomach contractions.
Ghrelin also acts on the hypothalamus to increase appetite.
People who produce greater than average amounts of
ghrelin respond more strongly than average to the sight of
food, and they are almost twice as likely as other people to
become obese (Karra et al., 2013).
Signals of both short-term and long-term satiety provide input to the
satiety-sensitive cells of the arcuate nucleus.
Distension of the intestines triggers neurons to release the
neurotransmitter CCK, a short-term signal (Fan et al.,2004).
Blood glucose (a short-term signal) stimulates satiety cells in the
arcuate nucleus (Parton et al., 2007) and leads to increased secretion
of insulin, which also stimulates the satiety cells.
Body fat (a long-term signal) releases leptin, which stimulates the
satiety neurons and inhibits the hunger neurons (Diéguez, Vazquez,
Romero, López, & Nogueiras, 2011).
PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS