Scalp recorded direct current (DC) potential shifts associated with food intake in hungry humans

In humans, eating is assumed to be regulated within a neuronal circuitry in tegrating hypothalamic 'feeding centers' with neocortical regions. Here, DC potentials were recorded in food deprived men to demonstrate a graded tuni ng of neocortical excitability in conjunction with meal ingestion. In the b eginning of food ingestion a pronounced negative DC potential shift develop ed (P < 0.01) which was replaced by a gradual positive potential shift reac hing a maximum within 5 min after cessation of food intake (P < 0.05). Both negative and positive shifts showed a widespread cortical distribution. Th e initial negative DC potential presumably reflecting increased depolarisat ion of apical cortical dendrites, may serve to facilitate eating behavior. The succeeding positivity points to a growing inhibitory influence on corti cal processing with increasing satiety that may support termination of meal intake. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.