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Clinical Trial
. 2012;7(12):e50707.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050707. Epub 2012 Dec 5.

Episodic memory and appetite regulation in humans

Jeffrey M Brunstrom  1 , Jeremy F Burn, Nicola R Sell, Jane M Collingwood, Peter J Rogers, Laura L Wilkinson, Elanor C Hinton, Olivia M Maynard, Danielle Ferriday
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Episodic memory and appetite regulation in humans

Jeffrey M Brunstrom et al. PLoS One. 2012.

Abstract

Psychological and neurobiological evidence implicates hippocampal-dependent memory processes in the control of hunger and food intake. In humans, these have been revealed in the hyperphagia that is associated with amnesia. However, it remains unclear whether 'memory for recent eating' plays a significant role in neurologically intact humans. In this study we isolated the extent to which memory for a recently consumed meal influences hunger and fullness over a three-hour period. Before lunch, half of our volunteers were shown 300 ml of soup and half were shown 500 ml. Orthogonal to this, half consumed 300 ml and half consumed 500 ml. This process yielded four separate groups (25 volunteers in each). Independent manipulation of the 'actual' and 'perceived' soup portion was achieved using a computer-controlled peristaltic pump. This was designed to either refill or draw soup from a soup bowl in a covert manner. Immediately after lunch, self-reported hunger was influenced by the actual and not the perceived amount of soup consumed. However, two and three hours after meal termination this pattern was reversed - hunger was predicted by the perceived amount and not the actual amount. Participants who thought they had consumed the larger 500-ml portion reported significantly less hunger. This was also associated with an increase in the 'expected satiation' of the soup 24-hours later. For the first time, this manipulation exposes the independent and important contribution of memory processes to satiety. Opportunities exist to capitalise on this finding to reduce energy intake in humans.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Depiction of the self-refilling soup bowl apparatus.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Estimated marginal means (+/− SEM) for hunger ratings (0–100 mm) taken 0, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after consuming the soup.
Separate values are provided for participants in each condition.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mean (+/− SEM) expected satiation scores.
Separate values are provided for participants in each condition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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