GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex are negatively associated with food motivation in a pediatric sample

Food motivation varies between individuals, affecting body weight and risk for eating disorders. Prior neuroimaging studies in youth and adults have revealed functional and structural alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex [ACC] in those with obesity and disordered eating but have not investigated their neurochemical underpinnings. In a sample of 37 children aged 4 to 13 years old, we used Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy [MRS] to assess levels of γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA] – the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain – quantified relative to creatine in a 27-ml voxel including the dorsal ACC. We used the CEBQ to assess trait food motivation. In analyses adjusting for age, lower GABA+/Cr levels in the dorsal ACC were associated with higher trait enjoyment of food. Higher enjoyment of food scores were in turn associated with higher energy intake during an ad libitum test meal and during a postprandial task assessing intake in the absence of hunger, and higher body weight. Our results indicate a role for GABA function in the dorsal ACC in determining individual variation in food motivation in children.