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OVERVIEWThe brain clearly plays a multitude of roles in governing how and what we eat, and how our bodies use or store the energy that food provides. These include basic drives as disparate as hunger, the sensory and emotional pleasure associated with eating, the intellectual decisions surrounding food choices, and the central control of nutrient metabolism. It is becoming clear that the metabolic state of an individual, including excess weight, elicits changes in brain architecture and function. The need to combat the high incidence of obesity and its unfortunate consequences makes it important to understand how all of the homeostatic mechanisms under neural control fail to match calorie intake to metabolic need.Functional neuroimaging, a research approach comprised of a growing suite of techniques, is increasingly used to identify the interacting areas of the brain that are associated with various physiological states, activities, and behaviors. The most widely used are Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magnetoencephalography (MEG), all of which can be safely used to monitor neuronal activity in the human brain. Recent studies provide confidence that functional neuroimaging can inform on the neural substrates of energy balance regulation, hunger, satiety, food craving, and other aspects of eating, as well as closely associated complex human behaviors such as decision-making and emotion. This trans-NIH workshop is designed to:
Sponsored by NIDDK, NIDA, NIA, NIMH, NIBIB, NCCAM, OBSSR Obesity Task Force, NIH Co-Chairs Dr. Peter Bandettini, NIMH, NIH Dr. Angelo Del Parigi, Pfizer Dr. Joel Elmquist, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Rudolph Leibel, Columbia University Dr. Samuel McClure, Stanford University Organizers Dr. Thomas Aigner, NIDA; Dr. Mark Chavez, NIMH; Dr. Laurie Donze, NCCAM; Dr. Joseph Frascella, NIDA; Dr. Christine Hunter, NIDDK; Dr. Walter Kaye, UCSD; Dr. Maren Laughlin, NIDDK; Dr. Alan Mclaughlin, NIBIB; Dr. Deborah Olster, OBSSR, NIH; Dr. James Pekar, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Suzana Petanceska, NIA; Dr. David Poeppel, University of Maryland; Dr. Cary Savage, University of Kansas; Dr. Elliot Stein, NIDA; Dr. Susan Yanovski, NIDDK; Dr. Yantian Zhang, NIBIB. For questions concerning program content, contact: Dr. Maren Laughlin National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health Two Democracy Plaza, Room 787 6707 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 5460 Bethesda, MD 20892-5460 Phone: (301) 594-8802 Fax: (301) 480-0475 Email: laughlinm@extra.niddk.nih.gov For questions concerning meeting logistics, contact: John Hare, CMP The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc. 656 Quince Orchard Road, Suite 210 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 Phone: (301) 670-4990 Fax: (301) 670-3815 Email: jhare@scgcorp.com |