The role of odor imagery ability in human food cue reactivity and obesity risk

项目概要 现代肥胖率的上升与广告的增加和美味食品的供应同时发生。 对这些无处不在的食物线索的条件反应，例如渴望或大脑活动，是众所周知的 作为食物线索反应性（FCR）。 FCR 强度的个体差异与肥胖相关（由身体定义） 质量指数或 BMI）并预测食物摄入量和体重变化。然而，尚不清楚为什么有些人 比其他人有更强的FCR。该提案的中心假设是气味想象能力是一个因素 这会推动 FCR 强度，进而增加暴饮暴食和体重增加的风险。这一假设的基本原理 源于一个著名的理论，即心理意象与渴爱的产生高度相关。还有 与视觉物体和场景相比，想象气味的能力存在更大的差异，以及初步研究 研究表明，气味想象能力的这种变化与体重指数呈正相关。然而，气味想象能力 该研究是通过自我报告问卷进行测量的，人们对这种主观性的了解程度知之甚少。 衡量标准映射到实际能力。此外，气味意象能力是否影响进食和体重增加 未知。在这些强有力的初步数据和知识方面的关键差距的指导下，当前的提案将 以两种客观方式量化气味意象能力：（1）心理物理上，作为干扰效应 想象一种气味的气味会损害对微弱浓度的另一种气味的实际检测； (2)神经方面， 因为在闻到真实气味时生成的大脑模式的解码准确性可以预测这些气味 想象气味，反之亦然。 FCR 的测量将包括提示引起的渴望和大脑对食物的反应 提示。最终，具体目标包括测试客观气味意象能力是否与 (1) 自我报告相关 能力和 BMI，(2) FCR，以及 (3) 12 个月内的提示强化喂养或体重变化。这些目标将 阐明气味意象如何影响 FCR 和肥胖风险。如果假设得到支持，则气味图像 能力将作为降低易感个体 FCR 的新目标。该项目将在博士进行。 达纳·斯莫尔（Dana Small）的实验室位于耶鲁大学，隶属于耶鲁大学跨系神经科学系 计划（INP）和现代饮食和生理学研究中心（MDPRC）。这个环境将提供 独特研究技能的培训，例如掌握使用斯莫尔博士的嗅觉计在 神经成像并对高性能计算集群进行高级分析。与合作 Hedy Koher 博士将完善申请人在机器学习技术方面的技能。参与 MDPRC – 这是一个小型协作小组，专注于了解饮食对健康和大脑功能的影响 – 将促进经常接触该领域的新研究以及建立网络和改进演示的能力 技能。耶鲁大学 INP 将通过参加讲座、研讨会、 期刊俱乐部、教学、指导和外展。该奖学金培训计划将为申请人做好准备 作为一名研究感觉系统、摄入行为和肥胖的独立科学家，他的职业生涯很成功。

PROJECT SUMMARY The modern rise in obesity rates coincides with the increased advertising and availability of palatable foods. Conditioned responses to these ubiquitous food cues, such as craving or brain activity, are known collectively as food cue reactivity (FCR). Individual differences in FCR strength are associated with obesity (defined by Body Mass Index or BMI) and predict food intake and weight change. However, it is unclear why some individuals have stronger FCR than others. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that odor imagery ability is one factor that drives FCR strength, which in turn promotes risk for overeating and weight gain. Rationale for this hypothesis stems from a prominent theory that mental imagery is highly involved in the generation of craving. There is also greater variation in the ability to imagine odors compared to visual objects and scenes, and a preliminary study showed that this variation in odor imagery ability is positively correlated with BMI. However, odor imagery ability in that study was measured with a self-report questionnaire, and it is poorly understood how well this subjective measure maps onto actual ability. In addition, whether odor imagery ability influences feeding and weight gain is unknown. Guided by these strong preliminary data and critical gaps in knowledge, the current proposal will quantify odor imagery ability in two objective ways: (1) psychophysically, as the interference effect by which imagining the smell of one odor impairs the actual detection of another at a weak concentration; and (2) neurally, as the decoding accuracy with which brain patterns generated while smelling real odors can predict those while imagining odors and vice versa. Measures of FCR will include cue-induced craving and brain response to food cues. Ultimately, the specific aims include testing if objective odor imagery ability correlates with (1) self-reported ability and BMI, (2) FCR, and (3) cue-potentiated feeding or weight change over 12 months. These aims will elucidate how odor imagery contributes to FCR and obesity risk. If the hypothesis is supported, then odor imagery ability will serve as a new target to reduce FCR in susceptible individuals. The project will be conducted in Dr. Dana Small’s laboratory located at Yale University and affiliated with Yale’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP) and the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center (MDPRC). This environment will provide training in unique research skills, such as mastering the use of Dr. Small’s olfactometer to deliver odors during neuroimaging and performing advanced analyses on high-performance computing clusters. A collaboration with Dr. Hedy Kober will refine the applicant’s skillset in machine learning techniques. Involvement in the MDPRC – which is a small and collaborative group focused on understanding the impact of diet on health and brain function – will facilitate frequent exposure to new research in the field and the ability to network and improve presentation skills. Yale’s INP will foster further opportunities for career development through participation in talks, seminars, journal clubs, teaching, mentoring, and outreach. This fellowship training plan will prepare the applicant for a successful career as an independent scientist studying sensory systems, ingestive behavior, and obesity.