The Role of the Human Hypothalamus in Food Intake Networks: An MRI Perspective

Coleen Roger; Adèle Lasbleiz; Maxime Guye; Anne Dutour; Bénédicte Gaborit; Jean-Philippe Ranjeva

doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.760914

The Role of the Human Hypothalamus in Food Intake Networks: An MRI Perspective

Front Nutr. 2022 Jan 3:8:760914. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.760914. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Coleen Roger^{1

2}, Adèle Lasbleiz^{2

3}, Maxime Guye^{1

2}, Anne Dutour³, Bénédicte Gaborit³, Jean-Philippe Ranjeva^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France.
² Centre d'Exploration Métabolique par Résonance Magnétique (CEMEREM), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Hôpital Universitaire de la Timone, Marseille, France.
³ Département d'Endocrinologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Hôpital de la Conception, Marseille, France.

Abstract

Hypothalamus (HT), this small structure often perceived through the prism of neuroimaging as morphologically and functionally homogeneous, plays a key role in the primitive act of feeding. The current paper aims at reviewing the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of the role of the HT in food intake regulation. It focuses on the different MRI techniques that have been used to describe structurally and functionally the Human HT. The latest advances in HT parcellation as well as perspectives in this field are presented. The value of MRI in the study of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and obesity are also highlighted.

Keywords: MRI; anorexia; diffusion; hypothalamus; networks; obesity; resting state.

Publication types

Review