Impact of Brain Insulin Signaling on Dopamine Function, Food Intake, Reward, and Emotional Behavior

• Published in: Current nutrition reports Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 83 - 91
• Main Authors: Kleinridders, André, Pothos, Emmanuel N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2019
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, CD; Anxiety; Brain - metabolism; Cardiology; Clinical Nutrition; Depressive Disorder; Diabetes; Diet; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine Agonists; Eating; Emotions; Feeding Behavior; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Hyperphagia; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Resistance; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nutrition and the Brain (J Nasser; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - psychology; Oncology; Receptor, Insulin; Reward; Section Editor; Signal Transduction - physiology; Topical Collection on Nutrition and the Brain; Obesity; Dopamine; Mood; Food intake; Mesolimbic pathway; Depressive-like behavior; Depression; Anxiety; Diabetes; Reward; Insulin receptor; Insulin
• ISSN: 2161-3311; 2161-3311
• DOI: 10.1007/s13668-019-0276-z

Purpose of Review
Dietary obesity is primarily attributed to an imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure. Adherence to lifestyle interventions reducing weight is typically low. As a result, obesity becomes a chronic state with increased co-morbidities such as insulin resistance and diabetes. We review the effects of brain insulin action and dopaminergic signal transmission on food intake, reward, and mood as well as potential modulations of these systems to counteract the obesity epidemic.
Recent Findings
Central insulin and dopamine action are interlinked and impact on food intake, reward, and mood. Brain insulin resistance causes hyperphagia, anxiety, and depressive-like behavior and compromises the dopaminergic system. Such effects can induce reduced compliance to medical treatment. Insulin receptor sensitization and dopamine receptor agonists show attenuation of obesity and improvement of mental health in rodents and humans.
Summary
Modulating brain insulin and dopamine signaling in obese patients can potentially improve therapeutic outcomes.