Image Sciences Institute, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Tilburg University, Department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
Neuroimage. 2019 Nov 1;201:116016. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116016. Epub 2019 Jul 13.
Childhood obesity is a rising problem caused in part by unhealthy food choices. Food choices are based on a neural value signal encoded in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and self-control involves modulation of this signal by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). We determined the effects of development, body mass (BMI Cole score) and body mass history on the neural correlates of healthy food choice in children. 141 children (aged 10-17y) from Germany, Hungary and Sweden were scanned with fMRI while performing a food choice task. Afterwards health and taste ratings of the foods were collected. In the food choice task children were asked to consider the healthiness or tastiness of the food or to choose naturally. Overall, children made healthier choices when asked to consider healthiness. However, children who had a higher weight gain per year chose less healthy foods when considering healthiness but not when choosing naturally. Pubertal development stage correlated positively while current body mass correlated negatively with dlPFC activation when accepting foods. Pubertal development negatively and current body mass positively influenced the effect of considering healthiness on activation of brain areas involved in salience and motivation. In conclusion, children in earlier stages of pubertal development and children with a higher body weight exhibited less activation in the dlPFC, which has been implicated in self-control during food choice. Furthermore, pubertal development and body mass influenced neural responses to a health cue in areas involved in salience and motivation. Thus, these findings suggest that children in earlier stages of pubertal development, children with a higher body mass gain and children with overweight may possibly be less susceptible to healthy eating interventions that rely on self-control or that highlight health aspects of food.
儿童肥胖是一个日益严重的问题，部分原因是不健康的食物选择。食物选择基于腹内侧前额叶皮层编码的神经价值信号，而自我控制涉及背外侧前额叶皮层（dlPFC）对该信号的调节。我们确定了发育、体重（BMI Cole 评分）和体重史对儿童健康食物选择的神经相关性的影响。来自德国、匈牙利和瑞典的 141 名儿童（年龄 10-17 岁）在进行食物选择任务时接受 fMRI 扫描。之后收集了食物的健康和口味评分。在食物选择任务中，要求儿童考虑食物的健康或美味，或者自然选择。总的来说，当被要求考虑健康时，儿童会做出更健康的选择。然而，当考虑健康时，体重每年增加较多的儿童会选择不太健康的食物，但当自然选择时则不会。青春期发育阶段与接受食物时 dlPFC 激活呈正相关，而当前体重与 dlPFC 激活呈负相关。青春期发育和当前体重对考虑健康对参与突显和动机的大脑区域的激活的影响产生负面影响。总之，青春期发育较早的儿童和体重较高的儿童在进行食物选择时，其 dlPFC 的激活程度较低，而 dlPFC 被认为与自我控制有关。此外，青春期发育和体重会影响与突显和动机相关的区域对健康提示的神经反应。因此，这些发现表明，青春期发育较早的儿童、体重增加较多的儿童和超重儿童可能不太容易受到依赖自我控制或强调食物健康方面的健康饮食干预。
