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A collaborative model for eating research. Ellen Schur, MD, MS Division of General Internal Medicine, Harborview Section UW Department of Medicine. Interdisciplinary research in eating behavior. K23 award to explore genetic, behavioral, hormonal, and cognitive mechanisms of overeating
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A collaborative model for eating research Ellen Schur, MD, MS Division of General Internal Medicine, Harborview Section UW Department of Medicine
Interdisciplinary research in eating behavior • K23 award to explore genetic, behavioral, hormonal, and cognitive mechanisms of overeating • Initial goal was to develop an fMRI tool for identifying neuroanatomical correlates of overeating
Where to begin? • Google functional MRI study design • Read a few papers • Get some help from IBIC • Study design • Image acquisition • Data processing and analysis
Brain areas crucial to energy homeostasis and perception of reward are selectively attuned to visual images of fattening foods Schur, et al, Intl J of Obesity, in press
R Nucleus accumbens Midbrain 4 4 P < 0.001 P < 0.01 3 3 2 2 Mean activity (z-score) Mean activity (z-score) 1 1 0 0 -1 -1 0 60 120 180 240 300 360 0 60 120 180 240 300 360 Liquid meal Time elapsed since meal (min.) Time elapsed since meal (min.) Spontaneous meal Effect of a meal on activation in reward pathways • Extracted data from regions of interest for contrast of fattening > non-fattening food • Performed linear regression analysis
Productive collaborative model • Developed tool useful for understanding the subjective experience of appetite that drives food intake • Methods paper published • 2 abstracts • 3 funded pilot studies • R03 and R01 applications submitted