Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application

Obesity remains a pervasive global health problem. While there are a number of nonsurgical and surgical options for treatment, the incidence of obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate. The inability to curtail the growing rise of the obesity epidemic may be related to a combination of incr...

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Main Authors: Raj K. Nangunoori, Nestor D. Tomycz, Michael Y. Oh, Donald M. Whiting
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7971460
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author Raj K. Nangunoori
Nestor D. Tomycz
Michael Y. Oh
Donald M. Whiting
author_facet Raj K. Nangunoori
Nestor D. Tomycz
Michael Y. Oh
Donald M. Whiting
author_sort Raj K. Nangunoori
collection DOAJ
description Obesity remains a pervasive global health problem. While there are a number of nonsurgical and surgical options for treatment, the incidence of obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate. The inability to curtail the growing rise of the obesity epidemic may be related to a combination of increased food availability and palatability. Research into feeding behavior has yielded a number of insights into the homeostatic and reward mechanisms that govern feeding. However, there remains a gap between laboratory investigations of feeding physiology in animals and translation into meaningful treatment options for humans. In addition, laboratory investigation may not be able to recapitulate all aspects of human food consumption. In a landmark pilot study of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the lateral hypothalamic area for obesity, we found that there was an increase in resting metabolic rate as well as a decreased urge to eat. In this review, the authors will review some of the work relating to feeding physiology and research surrounding two nodes involved in feeding homeostasis, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hypothalamus, and use this to provide a framework for future investigations of DBS as a viable therapeutic modality for obesity.
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spelling doaj-art-37e44dd79d10436b8f443e4f72a9be002025-08-20T03:20:29ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/79714607971460Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical ApplicationRaj K. Nangunoori0Nestor D. Tomycz1Michael Y. Oh2Donald M. Whiting3Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E. North Avenue, Suite 302, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E. North Avenue, Suite 302, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E. North Avenue, Suite 302, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E. North Avenue, Suite 302, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USAObesity remains a pervasive global health problem. While there are a number of nonsurgical and surgical options for treatment, the incidence of obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate. The inability to curtail the growing rise of the obesity epidemic may be related to a combination of increased food availability and palatability. Research into feeding behavior has yielded a number of insights into the homeostatic and reward mechanisms that govern feeding. However, there remains a gap between laboratory investigations of feeding physiology in animals and translation into meaningful treatment options for humans. In addition, laboratory investigation may not be able to recapitulate all aspects of human food consumption. In a landmark pilot study of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the lateral hypothalamic area for obesity, we found that there was an increase in resting metabolic rate as well as a decreased urge to eat. In this review, the authors will review some of the work relating to feeding physiology and research surrounding two nodes involved in feeding homeostasis, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hypothalamus, and use this to provide a framework for future investigations of DBS as a viable therapeutic modality for obesity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7971460
spellingShingle Raj K. Nangunoori
Nestor D. Tomycz
Michael Y. Oh
Donald M. Whiting
Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
Neural Plasticity
title Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
title_full Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
title_fullStr Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
title_full_unstemmed Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
title_short Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
title_sort deep brain stimulation for obesity from a theoretical framework to practical application
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7971460
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AT michaelyoh deepbrainstimulationforobesityfromatheoreticalframeworktopracticalapplication
AT donaldmwhiting deepbrainstimulationforobesityfromatheoreticalframeworktopracticalapplication