Name Myrte Merkestein
Department Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Section Neurobiology of behaviour
Function PhD-student
E-mail:
m.merkestein@umcutrecht.nl
tel:+31-88-75 68036
Supervisor Prof. Dr. R.A.H. Adan
Title research
What happens in our brain when we get ready for dinner?
Summary research
Energy balance is regulated in a homeostatic manner by the hypothalamus, which receives metabolic input from the body. Corticolimbic structures receive information about the rewarding aspects of food and serve as a non-homeostatic control, which can override the hypothalamus. We hypothesize that the imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure seen in people with eating disorders is caused by interference of these structures, which drive the motivational control of energy balance. Rats develop anticipatory behaviour in expectance of food, when they are subjected to a feeding schedule with food at a specific time point of the circadian phase. Interestingly, ad libitum fed rats with restricted access to a palatable food show anticipation as well. This anticipatory behaviour is suggested to reflect the drive to eat. c-fos studies showed the involvement of several brain areas in food anticipation. However, which neuronal populations drive food anticipation is not known yet. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the neural and molecular substrates of anticipation to food and their involvement in potentiation of over-consumption.
Publications Tiesjema, B., Merkestein, M., Garner, K.M. and Adan, R.A. (2008). Multimeric α-MSH
has increased efficacy for the MC4R. European Journal of Pharmacology, in press