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Nutrients Nov 2021Alcohol works on the brain to produce its desired effects, e.g., sociability and intoxication, and hence the brain is an important organ for exploring subsequent harms.... (Review)
Review
Alcohol works on the brain to produce its desired effects, e.g., sociability and intoxication, and hence the brain is an important organ for exploring subsequent harms. These come in many different forms such as the consequences of damage during intoxication, e.g., from falls and fights, damage from withdrawal, damage from the toxicity of alcohol and its metabolites and altered brain structure and function with implications for behavioral processes such as craving and addiction. On top of that are peripheral factors that compound brain damage such as poor diet, vitamin deficiencies leading to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Prenatal alcohol exposure can also have a profound impact on brain development and lead to irremediable changes of fetal alcohol syndrome. This chapter briefly reviews aspects of these with a particular focus on recent brain imaging results. Cardiovascular effects of alcohol that lead to brain pathology are not covered as they are dealt with elsewhere in the volume.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Behavior, Addictive; Brain; Craving; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Functional Neuroimaging; Humans
PubMed: 34836193
DOI: 10.3390/nu13113938 -
Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford,... Oct 2020The purpose of this brief narrative review is to address the complexities and benefits of extending animal alcohol addiction research to the human domain, emphasizing... (Review)
Review
AIM
The purpose of this brief narrative review is to address the complexities and benefits of extending animal alcohol addiction research to the human domain, emphasizing Allostasis and Incentive Sensitization, two models that inform many pre-clinical and clinical studies.
METHODS
The work reviewed includes a range of approaches, including: a) animal and human studies that target the biology of craving and compulsive consumption; b) human investigations that utilize alcohol self-administration and alcohol challenge paradigms, in some cases across 10 years; c) questionnaires that document changes in the positive and negative reinforcing effects of alcohol with increasing severity of addiction; and d) genomic structural equation modeling based on data from animal and human studies.
RESULTS
Several general themes emerge from specific study findings. First, positive reinforcement is characteristic of early stage addiction and sometimes diminishes with increasing severity, consistent with both Allostasis and Incentive Sensitization. Second, evidence is less consistent for the predominance of negative reinforcement in later stages of addiction, a key tenant of Allostasis. Finally, there are important individual differences in motivation to drink at a given point in time as well as person-specific change patterns across time.
CONCLUSIONS
Key constructs of addiction, like stage and reinforcement, are by necessity operationalized differently in animal and human studies. Similarly, testing the validity of addiction models requires different strategies by the two research domains. Although such differences are challenging, they are not insurmountable, and there is much to be gained in understanding and treating addiction by combining pre-clinical and clinical approaches.
Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Behavior, Addictive; Craving; Disease Models, Animal; Ethanol; Humans; Motivation; Reinforcement, Psychology; Self Administration
PubMed: 32781467
DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa068 -
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia E... Nov 2018The aim of the present study was to assess the anthropometric measures, food intake and food cravings during the menstrual cycle of undergraduate students of the...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess the anthropometric measures, food intake and food cravings during the menstrual cycle of undergraduate students of the faculty of nutrition.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was performed with 27 students from a public university in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, who had their food intake evaluated through a 24-hour food recall, their nutritional status evaluated based on anthropometric measures, and food cravings evaluated using the Food Desire Questionnaire. Data were collected during an evaluation in the follicular phase (between the 5 and the 9 day of the menstrual cycle) and another in the luteal phase (LP) (between the 20 and the 25 day of the menstrual cycle). For food intake variables, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used, followed by the Tukey test. The Mann-Whitney test was used for the analysis of food cravings, considering a significance level of 5% ( < 0.05).
RESULTS
The desire for foods rich in sugar, salt, and fat, such as chocolate, pastries, snacks and desserts were higher ( < 0.05) during the premenstrual period, although it did not reflect neither a higher energy intake nor an alteration in the distribution of macronutrients. A higher intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, and calcium was observed during the LP; however, without statistical difference between the groups. There were no differences either in the intake of any food group or in the anthropometric measurements ( > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Food cravings of nutrition students differed between the phases of the menstrual cycle; however, with no difference in food intake and in anthropometric measures.
Topics: Craving; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eating; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Nutritional Status; Young Adult
PubMed: 30485899
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1675831 -
Physiology & Behavior Aug 2020Craving, defined here as a strong desire to eat, is a common experience that drives behavior. Here we discuss the concept of craving from historical, physiological, and... (Review)
Review
Craving, defined here as a strong desire to eat, is a common experience that drives behavior. Here we discuss the concept of craving from historical, physiological, and clinical perspectives, and review work investigating the effects of cue reactivity and cue-induced craving on eating and weight outcomes, as well as underlying neural mechanisms. We also highlight the significance of cue reactivity and craving in the context of our "toxic food environment" and the obesity epidemic. We then summarize our work developing the Regulation of Craving (ROC) task, used to test the causal effects of cognitive strategies on craving for food and drugs as well as the underlying neural mechanisms of such regulation. Next, we review our recent development of a novel ROC-based intervention that trains individuals to use cognitive strategies to regulate craving, with promising effects on subsequent food choice and caloric consumption. We end by discussing future directions for this important line of work.
Topics: Craving; Cues; Food; Food Preferences; Humans; Obesity
PubMed: 32298667
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112878 -
Addiction (Abingdon, England) Dec 2022An initial dose of alcohol can motivate-or prime-further drinking and may precipitate (re)lapse and bingeing. Lab-based studies have investigated the alcohol priming... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
An initial dose of alcohol can motivate-or prime-further drinking and may precipitate (re)lapse and bingeing. Lab-based studies have investigated the alcohol priming effect; however, heterogeneity in designs has resulted in some inconsistent findings. The aims of this meta-analysis were to (i) determine the pooled effect size for motivation to drink following priming, measured by alcohol consumption and craving, and (ii) examine whether design characteristics influenced any priming effect.
METHODS
Literature searches of PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus in October 2020 (updated October 2021) identified lab-based alcohol priming studies that assessed effect of priming on motivation to drink. A tailored risk-of-bias tool assessed quality of lab-based studies. Random effects meta-analyses were computed on outcome data from 38 studies comparing the effect of a priming dose of alcohol against control on subsequent alcohol consumption/self-reported craving. Study characteristics that might have affected outcomes were design type (within/between-participant), dose of prime, time of motivation assessment, type of control drink (placebo alcohol/soft drink).
RESULTS
Relative to control, alcohol had a small-to-moderate priming effect on subsequent alcohol consumption (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.336 [95% CI, 0.171, 0.500]) and craving (SMD = 0.431 [95% CI, 0.306, 0.555]). Aspects of study design differentially affected consumption and craving. The size of the priming dose had no effect on consumption, but larger doses were sometimes associated with greater craving (with craving generally following the blood alcohol curve). Alcohol priming effects for consumption, but not craving, were smaller when compared with placebo, relative to soft drink, control.
CONCLUSIONS
Lab-based alcohol priming studies are a valid paradigm from which to investigate the impact of acute intoxication on alcohol motivation. Designs are needed that assess the impact of acute consumption on motivation to drink in more varied and realistic ways.
Topics: Humans; Motivation; Craving; Ethanol; Alcohol Drinking; Self Report
PubMed: 35638379
DOI: 10.1111/add.15962 -
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine Apr 2022
Topics: Craving; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Frailty; Humans; Hyperpigmentation
PubMed: 35365554
DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.89a.21036 -
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine Jun 2016Food craving is often defined as a strong desire to eat. Much work has shown that it consistently and prospectively predicts eating and weight-related outcomes,... (Review)
Review
Food craving is often defined as a strong desire to eat. Much work has shown that it consistently and prospectively predicts eating and weight-related outcomes, contributing to the growing obesity epidemic. Although there are clear gender differences in the prevalence and health consequences of obesity, relatively little recent work has investigated gender differences in craving, or any sex-hormone-based differences as they relate to phases of the menstrual cycle. Here, we propose that gender-related differences in food craving contribute to gender-related differences in obesity. Drawing on findings in the addiction literature, we highlight ways to incorporate gender-based differences in food craving into treatment approaches, potentially improving the efficacy of obesity and weight loss treatment. Overall, this review aims to emphasize the importance of investigating gender differences in food craving, with a view towards informing the development of more effective treatments for obesity and weight loss.
Topics: Craving; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Humans; Male; Menstrual Cycle; Obesity; Sex Factors
PubMed: 27354843
DOI: No ID Found -
Addiction (Abingdon, England) Feb 2015Functional neuroimaging has become an increasingly common tool for studying drug craving. Furthermore, functional neuroimaging studies, which have addressed an... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Functional neuroimaging has become an increasingly common tool for studying drug craving. Furthermore, functional neuroimaging studies, which have addressed an incredibly diverse array of questions regarding the nature and treatment of craving, have had a substantial impact on theoretical models of addiction. Here, we offer three points related to this sizeable and influential body of research. First, we assert that the craving most investigators seek to study represents not just a desire but a strong desire to use drugs, consistent with prominent theoretical and clinical descriptions of craving. Secondly, we highlight that, despite the clear conceptual and clinical emphasis on craving as an intense desire, brain imaging studies often have been designed explicitly in a way that reduces the ability to generate powerful cravings. We illustrate this point by reviewing the peak urge levels endorsed by participants in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of cigarette craving in nicotine-deprived versus non-deprived smokers. Thirdly, we suggest that brain responses measured during mild states of desire (such as following satiety) differ in fundamental ways from those measured during states of overpowering desire (i.e. craving) to use drugs. We support this position by way of a meta-analysis revealing that fMRI cue exposure studies using nicotine-deprived smokers have produced different patterns of brain activation to those using non-deprived smokers. Regarding brain imaging studies of craving, intensity of the urges matter, and more explicit attention to urge intensity in future work has the potential to yield valuable information about the nature of craving.
Topics: Brain; Craving; Cues; Functional Neuroimaging; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Prefrontal Cortex; Smoking; Substance-Related Disorders; Tobacco Use Disorder
PubMed: 25073979
DOI: 10.1111/add.12676 -
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience Dec 2023Craving, involving intense and urgent desires to engage in specific behaviours, is a feature of addictions. Multiple studies implicate regions of salience/limbic...
INTRODUCTION
Craving, involving intense and urgent desires to engage in specific behaviours, is a feature of addictions. Multiple studies implicate regions of salience/limbic networks and basal ganglia, fronto-parietal, medial frontal regions in craving in addictions. However, prior studies have not identified common neural networks that reliably predict craving across substance and behavioural addictions.
METHODS
Functional magnetic resonance imaging during an audiovisual cue-reactivity task and connectome-based predictive modelling (CPM), a data-driven method for generating brain-behavioural models, were used to study individuals with cocaine-use disorder and gambling disorder. Functions of nodes and networks relevant to craving were identified and interpreted based on meta-analytic data.
RESULTS
Craving was predicted by neural connectivity across disorders. The highest degree nodes were mostly located in the prefrontal cortex. Overall, the prediction model included complex networks including motor/sensory, fronto-parietal, and default-mode networks. The decoding revealed high functional associations with components of memory, valence ratings, physiological responses, and finger movement/motor imagery.
CONCLUSIONS
Craving could be predicted across substance and behavioural addictions. The model may reflect general neural mechanisms of craving despite specificities of individual disorders. Prefrontal regions associated with working memory and autobiographical memory seem important in predicting craving. For further validation, the model should be tested in diverse samples and contexts.
Topics: Humans; Craving; Gambling; Connectome; Substance-Related Disorders; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Cocaine; Brain
PubMed: 37190759
DOI: 10.1080/19585969.2023.2208586 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Nov 2022Studies using rodent models have shown that relapse to drug or food seeking increases progressively during abstinence, a behavioral phenomenon termed "incubation of...
Studies using rodent models have shown that relapse to drug or food seeking increases progressively during abstinence, a behavioral phenomenon termed "incubation of craving." Mechanistic studies of incubation of craving have focused on specific neurobiological targets within preselected brain areas. Recent methodological advances in whole-brain immunohistochemistry, clearing, and imaging now allow unbiased brain-wide cellular resolution mapping of regions and circuits engaged during learned behaviors. However, these whole-brain imaging approaches were developed for mouse brains, while incubation of drug craving has primarily been studied in rats, and incubation of food craving has not been demonstrated in mice. Here, we established a mouse model of incubation of palatable food craving and examined food reward seeking after 1, 15, and 60 abstinence days. We then used the neuronal activity marker Fos with intact-brain mapping procedures to identify corresponding patterns of brain-wide activation. Relapse to food seeking was significantly higher after 60 abstinence days than after 1 or 15 days. Using unbiased ClearMap analysis, we identified increased activation of multiple brain regions, particularly corticostriatal structures, following 60 but not 1 or 15 abstinence days. We used orthogonal SMART2 analysis to confirm these findings within corticostriatal and thalamocortical subvolumes and applied expert-guided registration to investigate subdivision and layer-specific activation patterns. Overall, we 1) identified brain-wide activity patterns during incubation of food seeking using complementary analytical approaches and 2) provide a single-cell resolution whole-brain atlas that can be used to identify functional networks and global architecture underlying the incubation of food craving.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Brain; Craving; Cues; Drug-Seeking Behavior; Food; Methamphetamine; Recurrence; Self Administration
PubMed: 36603188
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209382119