Binge eating disorder and morbid obesity are associated with lowered mu-opioid receptor availability in the brain

Obesity and eating disorders are a major public health problem worldwide, and the prevalence of obesity is constantly rising. Despite the economical and academic resources dedicated to obesity research, its neurobiological background still remains poorly understood (Val-Laillet  et al., 2015). Recent evidence from human and animals studies however points towards the key contribution of the endogenous opioid system in both food intake and obesity (Nogueiras et al., 2012).

Source: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging - March 9, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Juho Joutsa, Henry K. Karlsson, Joonas Majuri, Pirjo Nuutila, Semi Helin, Valtteri Kaasinen, Lauri Nummenmaa Source Type: research