Acute sleep deprivation enhances the brain's response to hedonic food stimuli: an fMRI study.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized counterbalanced crossover trial in humans
PubMed 22259064 · doi:10.1210/jc.2011-2759
What was done
Twelve normal-weight male participants completed two counterbalanced sessions: one after a night of total sleep deprivation and one after a night of normal sleep. The morning after each condition, neural activation in response to alternating blocks of high- and low-calorie food images was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Pre-scan hunger ratings, morning fasting plasma glucose concentrations, and post-scan subjective appetite ratings were also assessed.
What was found
Total sleep deprivation was associated with increased activation in the right anterior cingulate cortex in response to food images compared with normal sleep, independent of calorie content and pre-scan hunger ratings. Anterior cingulate cortex activation evoked by food stimuli correlated positively with post-scan subjective appetite ratings in the sleep-deprived condition. Self-reported hunger was increased following sleep deprivation, but no change in fasting plasma glucose concentration was observed. The abstract reported no exact numerical values or effect sizes.
Why it matters
This study identifies a specific neural mechanism—enhanced hedonic food cue processing in the anterior cingulate cortex—by which acute sleep loss may drive increased appetite and food consumption independently of peripheral glucose status.
Limits
The sample size is very small (12 subjects) and restricted entirely to normal-weight men, limiting generalizability. The study examined acute total sleep deprivation rather than real-world chronic partial sleep restriction and measured neural and appetite responses to food images rather than actual food intake.
Cited by
- supports Functional MRI scans demonstrate that sleep-deprived brains exhibit heightened activity in reward and hedonic processing areas when exposed to palatable, energy-dense foods.