Pattern of access determines influence of junk food diet on cue sensitivity and palatability.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Like drug addiction, cues associated with palatable foods can trigger food-seeking, even when sated. However, whether susceptibility to the motivating influence of food-related cues is a predisposing factor in overeating or a consequence of poor diet is difficult to determine in humans. Using a rodent model, we explored whether a highly palatable 'junk food' diet impacts responses to reward-paired cues in a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer test, using sweetened condensed milk (SCM) as the reward. The hedonic impact of SCM consumption was also assessed by analyzing licking microstructure.

Methods

To probe the effects of pattern and duration of junk food exposure, we provided rats with either regular chow ad libitum (controls) or chow plus access to junk food for either

SUBMITTER: Kosheleff AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5817006 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature