The habenula as a novel link between the homeostatic and hedonic pathways in cancer-associated weight loss: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Little is known about the brain mechanisms underlying cancer-associated weight loss (C-WL) in humans despite this condition negatively affecting their quality of life and survival. We tested the hypothesis that patients with C-WL have abnormal connectivity in homeostatic and hedonic brain pathways together with altered brain activity during food reward.

Methods

In 12 patients with cancer and 12 healthy controls, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC, resting brain activity observed through changes in blood flow in the brain which creates a blood oxygen level-dependent signal that can be measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging) was used to compare three brain regions hypothesized to play a role in C-WL: the hypothalamus (homeostatic), the nucleus

SUBMITTER: Maldonado M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5989751 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature