biostudies-literatureMaldonado MBLRD VANIA NIH HHSMcNair Medical InstituteNational Cancer InstituteMEDVAMCNCI NIH HHSVHA MERITNational Institute on AgingAmerican Federation of Aging ResearchCSRD VA497-504https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5989751biostudies-literatureUnknown9(3)<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 nucleusJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscleThe habenula as a novel link between the homeostatic and hedonic pathways in cancer-associated weight loss: a pilot study.PMC5989751T32AG000183I01 CX000994T32 AG000183I01 CX000174CX000174I01 BX002807I01BX002807AG0405833P30CA125123-08S2P30 CA125123CX000994R03 AG040583Viswanath HMarcelli MMolfese DLGarcia JMSalas RHayes TGMediwala SJones ACurtis KMaldonado MBaldwin PfalseThe habenula as a novel link between the homeostatic and hedonic pathways in cancer-associated weight loss: a pilot study.<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 nucleus2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Jun2025-04-05T13:14:43.461Z2019-03-26T23:42:11ZS-EPMC59897512957577110.1002/jcsm.12286