Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,217 posts)
Mon Jan 14, 2019, 02:19 PM Jan 2019

Memory of last meal influences when, how much rats eat next

JANUARY 14, 2019
by Society for Neuroscience

Researchers have identified cells in the brains of male rats that appear to control future food intake by preserving memories of past meals. The study, published in eNeuro, lends support to the idea of boosting meal memories as a strategy for managing overeating.

Preliminary research suggests a role for two areas of the hippocampus in regulating future eating. Reilly Hannapel, Marise Parent, and colleagues found that inhibiting the activity of pyramidal neurons in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus during or after, but not before, a meal caused rats to start their next meal sooner.

Interrupting the activity of these cells after the first meal additionally caused rats to consume more food during their next meal even though the activity of these cells was no longer disrupted.

The hippocampal cells manipulated in this study may help consolidate memory of the previous meal, which could serve as a satiation signal that outlasts appetite-regulating hormones to inform future eating behavior.

More:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-01-memory-meal-rats.html

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Science»Memory of last meal influ...