How hunger hormones impact decision-making brain area to drive behavior: Study

A hunger hormone generated in the gut can directly influence a decision-making area of the brain, according to a recent study by UCL researchers. How hunger hormones impact decision-making brain area to drive behavior: Study The study in mice, published in Neuron, is the first to illustrate how hunger hormones can directly influence hippocampal activity when an animal is thinking about food. The scientists found that activity in a subset of brain cells in the ventral hippocampus increased when animals approached food, and this activity inhibited the animal from eating. Dr MacAskill added: "It appears that the hippocampus puts the brakes on an animal's instinct to eat when it encounters food, to ensure that the animal does not overeat - but if the animal is indeed hungry, hormones will direct the brain to switch off the brakes, so the animal goes ahead and begins eating."