Menage, F. (2015) Dopaminergic age-related changes in the anticipatory food reward system in human beings and rats. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.
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Abstract
Food choices change during life, which can lead to malnutrition, for example among elderly. In other groups with a changed food choice it is known that the anticipatory food reward system (AFRS) is involved in these changes. This dopaminergic mesolimbic system plays a major role in food choice and is vulnerable to ageing. Because little is known of the age-related changes in humans, in this essay the question is answered what dopaminergic age-related changes are known in rats. Through this more insight can be gained in how the AFRS might change in older adults. A person eats because food is needed to survive. Therefore a person gets reward when food is seen or eaten. Wanting is one aspect of reward that is experienced when food is seen, and with this part of reward the AFRS is active. The VTA, striatum, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus and the fusiform gyrus encompass the AFRS. Changes in activity in these brain areas are shown in people with obesitas or anorexia. It is not known if the AFRS also shows a changed activity in older adults. However, in rats there are known age-related decreases in dopamine (DA) sensitivity or release in all the noticed brain areas except in the anterior cingulate gyrus and the fusiform gyrus. This information makes it more likely to assume that also AFRS in older human adults shows a changed activity.
Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
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Degree programme: | Biology |
Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
Language: | English |
Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2018 08:04 |
Last Modified: | 15 Feb 2018 08:04 |
URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/12774 |
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