Sweet cognition: The differential effects of glucose consumption on attentional food bias in individuals of lean and obese status

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.014
• Publication Date: 2019-04-17T02:05:36Z
• Authors: Ashley E. Mason; Kinnari Jhaveri; Samantha Schleicher; Carlos Almeida; Alison Hartman; Angela Wackerly; Diana Alba; Suneil K. Koliwad; Elissa S. Epel; Kirstin Aschbacher
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0301 basic medicine; Biomedical and clinical sciences; Biological Psychology; Neuropsychological Tests; Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology; Basic Behavioral and Social Science; Medical and Health Sciences; Body Mass Index; Attentional Bias; 03 medical and health sciences; Cognition; Clinical Research; Memory; Behavioral and Social Science; Psychology; Humans; Eating behavior; Obesity; Cognitive performance; Metabolic and endocrine; Nutrition; 2. Zero hunger; Nutrition and Dietetics; Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; Psychology and Cognitive Sciences; Neurosciences; Biological Sciences; Middle Aged; 16. Peace & justice; Food cues; Stroke; Biological sciences; Glucose; Memory, Short-Term; Short-Term; Female; Oral glucose tolerance task

In general, glucose consumption improves cognitive performance; however, it is unknown whether glucose specifically alters attentional food bias, and how this process may vary by BMI status. We hypothesized that glucose consumption would increase attentional food bias among individuals of obese BMI status more so than among individuals of lean BMI status. Participants (N = 35) completed the n-back, a working memory task modified to assess attentional food bias (ATT-Food), under fasting and glucose challenge conditions. We computed pre-post changes in ATT-Food, blood glucose and insulin (∆BG & ∆BI), and perceived task-stress (∆stress). After the second cognitive test and blood draw, participants ate lunch and completed a "taste test" of highly palatable foods, and we recorded food consumption. Pre-post changes in ATT-Food were greater among participants of obese (relative to lean) BMI status (F(1,33) = 5.108, p = .031). Greater ∆ATT-Food was significantly associated with greater ∆BG (r = .462, p = .007) and reduced ∆stress (r =-.422, p = .011), and marginally associated with greater taste-test eating (r =.325, p = .057), but was not associated with ∆BI. Our findings suggest that individuals of obese BMI status may exhibit "sweet cognition," as indexed by greater attentional food bias following glucose ingestion, relative to individuals of lean BMI status. Among individuals of obese BMI status, sweet cognition may arise from difficulty broadening attention toward non-food cues after consuming a high glucose load, thereby potentially perpetuating sugar consumption. If confirmed by further research, measures of sweet cognition may help identify individuals with a phenotype of risk for obesity and greater sugar consumption, who may benefit from tailored interventions.