Using brain imaging to assess appetite control in people with MND
A study presented at the 2023 International Symposium on ALS/MND used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain responses to food images in 35 people with motor neurone disease (MND) and 23 controls. Overall responses to food images were similar, but healthy participants showed increased activity in the right temporal pole when viewing high-calorie foods while fasting; this response was not seen in the MND group.
Why this matters
The findings may help researchers investigate how appetite and weight loss are linked to brain function in MND. They do not currently change treatment or show that altering this brain response would improve appetite, weight, disease progression or survival.
Limitations and context
This is an organisational blog describing a presentation, rather than a published primary research paper. The study was small, and the reported findings are based on brain imaging and appetite measurements rather than a treatment. The source does not provide enough detail to assess the full study design or whether the findings have been independently replicated.