Food reward system: current perspectives and future research needs

Miguel Alonso-Alonso; Stephen C Woods; Marcia Pelchat; Patricia Sue Grigson; Eric Stice; Sadaf Farooqi; Chor San Khoo; Richard D Mattes; Gary K Beauchamp

doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuv002

Food reward system: current perspectives and future research needs

Nutr Rev. 2015 May;73(5):296-307. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuv002. Epub 2015 Apr 9.

Authors

Miguel Alonso-Alonso¹, Stephen C Woods², Marcia Pelchat², Patricia Sue Grigson², Eric Stice², Sadaf Farooqi², Chor San Khoo², Richard D Mattes², Gary K Beauchamp²

Affiliations

¹ M. Alonso-Alonso is with the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.C. Woods is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. M. Pelchat and G.K. Beauchamp are with the Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. P.S. Grigson is with the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. E. Stice is with the Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. S. Farooqi is with the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. C.S. Khoo is with the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, USA. R.D. Mattes is with the Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. [email protected].
² M. Alonso-Alonso is with the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.C. Woods is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. M. Pelchat and G.K. Beauchamp are with the Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. P.S. Grigson is with the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. E. Stice is with the Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. S. Farooqi is with the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. C.S. Khoo is with the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, USA. R.D. Mattes is with the Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

Abstract

This article reviews current research and cross-disciplinary perspectives on the neuroscience of food reward in animals and humans, examines the scientific hypothesis of food addiction, discusses methodological and terminology challenges, and identifies knowledge gaps and future research needs. Topics addressed herein include the role of reward and hedonic aspects in the regulation of food intake, neuroanatomy and neurobiology of the reward system in animals and humans, responsivity of the brain reward system to palatable foods and drugs, translation of craving versus addiction, and cognitive control of food reward. The content is based on a workshop held in 2013 by the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute.

Keywords: addiction; craving; definitions; food reward system; palatable food; translational science.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Addictive
Brain / physiology
Craving
Eating / psychology*
Feeding Behavior / psychology*
Food
Humans
Reward*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding