Acute stress and food-related reward activation in the brain during food choice during eating in the absence of hunger

Background: Stress results in eating in the absence of hunger, possibly related to food reward perception. Hypothesis: Stress decreases food reward perception. Aim: Determine the effect of acute stress on food choice and food choice reward-related brain activity. Subjects: Nine females (BMI=21.5±2.2 kg/m 2 , age=24.3±3.5 years). Procedure: Fasted subjects came twice to randomly complete either a rest or stress condition. Per session, two functional MRI scans were made, wherein the subjects chose the subsequent meal (food images). The rewarding value of the food was measured as liking and wanting. Food characteristics (for example, crispiness, fullness of taste and so on), energy intake, amount of each macronutrient chosen, plasma cortisol and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) hunger and satiety were measured. Results: Fasted state was confirmed by high hunger (80±5 mm VAS). Breakfast energy intake (3±1 MJ) and liking were similar in all conditions. Wanting was lower postprandially (Δ=−0.3 items/category, P