Researchers identify the brain circuits that control hunger

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In adults who have a rare gene that confers leptin deficiency food cues produce hunger and increase activity in the insula and other brain regions linked to hunger (left). Leptin supplementation reduces hunger while increasing activity in the prefron ...
In adults who have a rare gene that confers leptin deficiency, food cues produce hunger and increase activity in the insula and other brain regions linked to hunger (left). Leptin supplementation reduces hunger while increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region linked to inhibitory control and satiety (right).

Researchers at UCLA have identified the brain circuits involved in hunger that are influenced by the hormone leptin, the signaling molecule produced by fat cells. In clinical trials, leptin supplementation has produced moderate weight loss in some obese patients by inhibiting hunger and promoting feelings of satiety. The new findings suggest possible new therapeutic targets for obesity, an increasing problem in both adults and children.


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