Sweet cognition: The differential effects of glucose consumption on attentional food bias in individuals of lean and obese status

Publication date: Available online 17 April 2019Source: Physiology & BehaviorAuthor(s): Ashley E. Mason, Kinnari Jhaveri, Samantha Schleicher, Carlos Almeida, Alison Hartman, Angela Wackerly, Diana Alba, Suneil K. Koliwad, Elissa S. Epel, Kirstin AschbacherAbstractIn general, glucose consumption improves cognitive performance; however, it is unknown whether glucose specifically enhances attentional food bias, and how this process may vary by BMI status. We hypothesized that glucose consumption would increase attentional food bias among individuals of obese BMI status more so than among individuals of lean BMI status. Participants (N = 35) completed the n-back, a working memory task modified to assess attentional food bias (ATT-Food), under fasting and glucose challenge conditions. We computed pre-post changes in ATT-Food, blood glucose and insulin (∆BG & ∆BI), and perceived task-stress (∆stress). After the second cognitive test and blood draw, participants ate lunch and completed a “taste test” of highly palatable foods, and we recorded food consumption. Pre-post changes in ATT-Food were greater among participants of obese (relative to lean) BMI status (F(1,33) = 5.108, p = .031). Greater ∆ATT-Food was significantly associated with greater ∆BG (r = 0.462, p = .007) and reduced ∆stress (r = −0.422, p = .011), and marginally associated with greater taste-test eating (r = 0.325, p = .057), but was not associated with ∆BI. O...
Source: Physiology and Behavior - Category: Physiology Source Type: research